SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3494

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 9, 2024

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3494.

      This bill requires four-year public institutions of higher education to develop and implement a reproductive health services plan.

      Pursuant to the bill, the plan is required to include: making available on-campus services provided by health care professionals, or referrals to off-campus services provided by health care professionals or health care facilities, for: obtaining contraception, including non-prescription and prescription emergency contraception and pharmacist authorized, self-administered hormonal contraceptives; services for preventing, testing for, and treating sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; prenatal care; and abortion. The plan is also required to include: methods to provide students with 24-hour access to over-the-counter contraception through the student health center, on-campus retail establishments, or vending machines; the provision of evidence-based reproductive health education services provided by the student health center, peer educators, or other health education programs; and the development of a referral network of verified health care professionals, health care facilities, and pharmacies that provide off-campus health care services located within the county that the four-year institution of higher education is located.

      The bill also requires county colleges to develop a referral network of verified health care professionals, health care facilities, and pharmacies that provide off-campus reproductive health care services in the county in which the county college is located in.

      Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and the Commissioner of Human Services, to develop guidelines to assist public institutions of higher education in developing and implementing a reproductive health services plan and county colleges in developing the referral network.

      Finally, the bill stipulates that the provisions of the bill are not to be construed to require a public institution of higher education to be a direct provider of reproductive health care services, including abortion.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that this bill will lead to an increase in annual expenditures to four-year public institutions of higher education, to the extent that the institutions do not already provide the various services that are required to be included in the reproductive health services plan. Costs may vary by institution depending on the ways in which the institution implements its reproductive health services plan and the additional equipment, facilities, personnel, and other costs associated with the plan.

      The OLS also notes that the bill’s requirement on county colleges to develop a referral network for the provision of reproductive health care services will result in annual increased administrative costs to the colleges.

      Finally, the bill will result in one-time increased costs to the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, as well as the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services, to develop guidelines for four-year public institutions of higher education and county colleges to use in implementing the requirements of the bill.