LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

SENATE, No. 3492

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: NOVEMBER 25, 2024

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Creates "Reproductive Health Care Access Fund" to strengthen access to reproductive health care; makes appropriation.

Type of Impact:

Annual increase in State expenditures; General Fund.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety; Department of Health.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that this bill would increase State costs by an indeterminate amount to support the purposes of the newly established Reproductive Health Care Access Fund, as outlined in the bill. 

·         The bill appropriates an unspecified amount of State resources to this fund to support three existing programs codified under the bill.  The OLS notes that in each Appropriations Act since FY 2023, the three programs have collectively received a total of $20 million in annual State funding.  

·         The Department of Health would incur one-time costs to conduct a Statewide survey, as described in the bill.  The cost to design the survey and to collect survey data cannot be quantified without information on the manner in which the department would carry out the survey requirements.

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      This bill establishes the Reproductive Health Care Access Fund.  The fund would be used to support the following purposes: the Reproductive Health Care Clinical Training Program; the Reproductive Health Care Security Grant Program; and the Reproductive Health Care Facility Loan Program.  The bill appropriates monies from the General Fund, subject to availability, to the fund.

      The Reproductive Health Care Clinical Training Program, which is to be established in the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety, would contract with a coordinating organization that has demonstrated experience in coordinating health care training programs for reproductive health care services and family planning services and which would be responsible for administering grants to develop and sustain reproductive health care services.

      The Reproductive Health Care Security Grant Program, established in the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness in the Department of Law and Public Safety, would make available grants to eligible reproductive health care facilities at a high risk of being the target of unlawful activity, in order to hire security personnel and acquire target-hardening equipment.

      The Reproductive Health Care Facility Loan Program would award loans to eligible reproductive health care facilities to support establishing or renovating existing health care facilities, investing in technology to facilitate care, recruiting and retaining staff, and other operational needs.

      The bill also requires the Department of Health to conduct, or to contract with a consultant or one or more public or private entities to conduct, a Statewide needs assessment to examine the gaps in access and delivery of reproductive health care services in the State.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS concludes that this bill would increase State costs by an indeterminate amount to support the purposes of the newly established Reproductive Health Care Access Fund, as outlined in the bill.  The bill appropriates an unspecified amount of State resources to this fund to support three existing programs codified under the bill.  In each fiscal year since FY 2023, these programs have collectively received a total of $20 million annually in State funding via the Appropriations Act, as follows:  $5 million via the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety for an OB/GYN Clinical Training Program, which funds are presently utilized by Rutgers University to administer the New Jersey Reproductive Training and Education Initiative; $5 million via the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness in the Department of Law and Public Safety for a Reproductive Health Security Grant Program; and $10 million via the Department of Health, in partnership with the New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority, to administer a loan program for family planning facilities upgrades.  As of November 20, 2024, nearly all of the FY 2023 and FY 2024 appropriations for these purposes have been expended or committed.

      Additionally, the Department of Health would incur one-time costs to conduct a Statewide survey, as described in the bill.  The cost to design the survey and to collect survey data cannot be quantified without information on the manner in which the department would carry out the survey requirements.  To the extent that the department decides to leverage existing resources or to use less rigorous protocols to satisfy this requirement of the bill, the costs incurred would be minimized.  For example, pursuant to P.L.2023, c.170, the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, the Commissioner of Human Services, and the State Treasurer, is currently required to publish on the department’s Internet website a resource page, or a link to a resource website, where patients can locate current, verified reproductive health care providers throughout the State.  It is possible that this resource could be the foundation of the Statewide survey required under this bill.

 

Section:

Human Services

Analyst:

Sarah Schmidt

Lead Research Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).