SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2413

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 11, 2023

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2413.

     As amended, this bill supplements the “Public Health Priority Funding Act of 1977” and requires a minimum annual State appropriation of $10 million for Public Health Priority Funding, thereby reinstating New Jersey’s only State appropriated, unrestricted fund for local health departments.  Such appropriation will be expended in accordance to the provisions of the “Public Health Priority Funding Act of 1977.”

     From 1966 to 2010, under the “State Health Aid Act” and later amended as the “Public Health Priority Funding Act of 1977,” the State provided local health departments with flexibility to address local needs, emerging threats, and other priorities via the appropriation of dedicated funds.  The State eliminated Public Health Priority Funding in the FY 2011 Appropriations Act.  For context, in FY 2010, Public Health Priority Funding amounted to approximately 15 percent of the total funding for local health departments. 

      Currently, local health departments in New Jersey are funded via local property taxes and State and federal funding that is designated for specific purposes, such as vaccines or environmental health services.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments clarify that the funds appropriated under the bill are to be expended in accordance to the provisions of the “Public Health Priority Funding Act of 1977.”

      The committee amendments make a technical change to the title of the bill to correct a citation.