SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 773

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 11, 2026

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 773.

      This bill increases the amount of cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues provided to the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR) to $10 million.  The bill also establishes a dedicated, non-lapsing Cancer Research Fund within the Department of the Treasury.

      Pursuant to current statute, the NJCCR annually receives $1 million in cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues.  This money is deposited into an existing lapsing Cancer Research Fund and then appropriated to the commission.  In recent years, pursuant to the annual appropriations act, this money has been transferred from the Cancer Research Fund to the General Fund.  The appropriations act then provides the NJCCR funding via a budget line.  Despite the statutory requirement, in FY 2025, the NJCCR was appropriated $4 million in funding. 

      Under the bill, the existing lapsing Cancer Research Fund is replaced by a non-lapsing, revolving fund.  This fund is to be the repository of the $10 million in cigarette and other tobacco products tax revenues deposited into the account under the bill and any other funds approved by the Department of Health or the NJCCR.  Moneys deposited in the fund, and any interest earned thereon, are to be used exclusively for providing grants for cancer research projects authorized and approved by the commission, with at least $5 million to be used to fund general cancer research and at least $5 million to be used to fund pediatric cancer research. 

      The State Treasurer will be the custodian of the fund and all disbursements from the fund are to be made by the State Treasurer upon vouchers signed by the chairperson of the NJCCR or the chairperson’s designee.  The monies in the fund are to be invested and reinvested by the Director of the Division of Investment in the Department of the Treasury in the same manner as other trust funds in the custody of the State Treasurer, in the manner provided by law.  Interest received on the monies in the fund are to be credited to the fund.

      This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.