LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

ASSEMBLY, No. 1424

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: OCTOBER 16, 2026

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

"Lyme Screening Act."

Type of Impact:

Annual State and local expenditure increases; annual State revenue increase.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Health; Department of Human Services; Department of Law and Public Safety; Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury; University Hospital; local governments and school districts.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

Annual

 

State Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

State Revenue Increase

Indeterminate

 

Local Expenditure Increase

Indeterminate

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines that the bill’s requirements will increase State expenditures by an indeterminate amount, given that the extent by which pediatric Lyme disease screening and testing rates will increase under the bill cannot be anticipated.  If increased screening and testing rates result in additional pediatric Lyme disease diagnoses, Lyme disease treatment costs for State-funded programs and facilities will also increase, albeit by an indeterminate amount.

 

·         The Department of Health will incur additional costs, of an indeterminate amount, to develop a standardized Lyme screening checklist to be used by pediatric health care providers.  To the extent that the department can purchase, utilize, or adapt a standardized Lyme disease screening checklist from an entity such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department’s costs may be reduced.

 

·         Insofar as NJ FamilyCare costs increase under the bill, State revenues will increase in the form of federal Medicaid reimbursements.

·         State, local, and school district costs under the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees Health Benefits Program may increase by an indeterminate amount if the bill’s requirements increase pediatric Lyme disease screening and testing rates.

 

·         To the extent that University Hospital, a non-profit legal entity that is an instrumentality of the State located in Newark, screens or tests an additional number of children pursuant to the bill, the hospital will also realize additional costs,

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      The Lyme Screening Act requires a licensed health care facility, agency, or program designated by the Commissioner of Health to perform well-child visits, and any health care provider who conducts well-child visits, to perform a Lyme disease screening on each child that the facility, agency, program, or provider serves, unless it is known that the child has already undergone Lyme screening.  This requirement also extends to a health care provider who conducts a symptom-related visit with a child reporting certain symptoms of between April 1 and October 31 of each year. 

      The Department of Health, in coordination with appropriate State agencies, will develop a standardized Lyme screening checklist for use by health care practitioners who provide well-child care.  The checklist will be administered according to a schedule adopted by the department to determine if a child has had any recent known tick exposure or is experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS determines that the bill’s requirements will increase State expenditures by an indeterminate amount, given that the extent by which pediatric Lyme disease screening and testing rates will increase under the bill cannot be anticipated.  If the increased Lyme disease screening and testing rates result in additional pediatric Lyme disease diagnoses, Lyme disease treatment costs for State-funded programs and facilities will also increase, albeit by an indeterminate amount. 

      The Department of Health will incur additional costs, of an indeterminate amount, to develop a standardized Lyme screening checklist to be used by pediatric health care providers.  To the extent that the department can purchase, utilize, or adapt a standardized Lyme disease screening checklist from an entity such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department’s costs may be reduced. 

      Insofar as NJ FamilyCare costs increase under the bill, State revenues will increase in the form of federal Medicaid reimbursements.

      State, local, and school district costs under the State Health Benefits Program and the School Employees Health Benefits Program may increase by an indeterminate amount if the bill’s requirements increase pediatric Lyme disease screening and testing rates.  Similarly, the Youth Justice Commission in the Department of Law and Public Safety may potentially incur additional costs, insofar as Lyme Disease screening and testing rates among justice-involved youth increase under the bill. 

      To the extent that University Hospital, a non-profit legal entity that is an instrumentality of the State located in Newark, screens or tests an additional number of children pursuant to the bill, the hospital will also realize additional costs, albeit of an indeterminate amount. 

 

 

Section:

Human Services

Analyst:

Anne Cappabianca

 

 Senior Fiscal 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.).