LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

SENATE, No. 4316

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: JULY 21, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Establishes professional licensure and certification for tobacco treatment counseling.

Type of Impact:

Annual State revenue and expenditure increases.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Law and Public Safety.

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

 

 

Annual State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

Annual State Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that the bill’s creation of two new regulated professions – licensed clinical tobacco treatment specialist and certified clinical tobacco treatment specialist – will increase annual State revenues by an indeterminate amount.  These revenues will derive from application, license, and certification fees and from penalties collected from individuals violating the provisions of this bill.

·         The OLS anticipates the new license and certification for tobacco treatment counseling to result in additional license applications and renewals thereby increasing administrative and enforcement expenditures to the Division of Consumer Affairs by an indeterminate amount. 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      The bill establishes two new regulated professions: licensed clinical tobacco treatment specialists and certified clinical tobacco treatment specialists.  The bill provides that both professions are to be regulated by the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee in the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners.

      The bill establishes an application process for licensed or certified clinical tobacco treatment counselors.  The bill provides that the board is to issue a tobacco treatment specialist license to any health care provider in this State who, within the scope of that provider's practice, diagnoses and treats tobacco or nicotine related disorders and meets certain requirements of the board.

      The bill provides that no person is to engage in the practice of tobacco treatment counseling as a licensed clinical tobacco treatment specialist or a certified clinical tobacco treatment specialist unless the person is practicing under the direct supervision of a physician licensed to practice in this State.

      The provisions of this bill do not prevent a person from doing tobacco counseling work, or advertising that service, if the person is acting within the scope of the person's profession or occupation and doing work consistent with the person's training.  This includes physicians, clinical social workers, psychologists, nurses, or any other profession or occupation licensed by the State, or students within accredited programs of these professions, if the person does not hold himself or herself out to the public as possessing a license or certification issued pursuant to the bill.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS finds that the bill’s creation of two new regulated professions – licensed clinical tobacco treatment specialist and certified clinical tobacco treatment specialist – will increase annual State revenues by an indeterminate amount.  These revenues will derive from application, license, and certification fees and from penalties collected from individuals violating the provisions of this bill.  The OLS also anticipates the new license and certification for tobacco treatment counseling to result in additional license applications and renewals, thereby increasing administrative and enforcement expenditures to the Division of Consumer Affairs by an indeterminate amount. 

 

      Increased Annual State Revenues:  The OLS notes that the bill may increase annual State revenues from the administration and collection of application, license, and certification fees, but the OLS has no information on the number of people that will apply to be a licensed clinical tobacco treatment specialist or a certified tobacco treatment specialist to estimate the annual amounts.  The OLS anticipates that the State may also annually collect indeterminate fines and penalty payments from violators of statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the new license and certification.

 

      State Expenditure:  The OLS anticipates the new license and certification for tobacco treatment counseling to result in additional license applications and renewals thereby increasing administrative and enforcement expenditures to the Division of Consumer Affairs.  The OLS has no information on the number of people that will apply to be a licensed clinical tobacco treatment specialist or a certified tobacco treatment specialist.  Additionally, the OLS has no information on the regulatory cost per applicant, which will depend on operating decisions by the board. 

 

Section:

Law and Public Safety

Analyst:

Jaime Velazquez

Associate 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.).