STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
District 19 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Treasurer to disseminate information about organ and tissue donation; designates April each year as "Donate Life Month."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning organ and tissue donation information, supplementing Titles 52 and 36 of the Revised Statutes, and repealing P.L.1999, JR3.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Department of the Treasury shall, during the month of April, disseminate organ and tissue donation information in accordance with the provisions of the "Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act," P.L.2008, c.50 (C.26:6-77 et seq.) with each State employee paycheck. The information shall be prepared in collaboration with the organ procurement organizations designated pursuant to 42 U.S.C.s.1320b-8 to serve in this State.
2. The Department of the Treasury shall encourage all business concerns awarded contracts with the State, as defined in section 2 of P.L.1987, c.184 (C.52:32-33) to notify their employees, through information and materials or through an organ and tissue awareness program, of organ donation options. The information provided to employees shall be prepared in collaboration with the organ procurement organizations designated pursuant to 42 U.S.C.s.1320b-8 to serve in this State.
3. The month of April in each year is designated as "Donate Life Month" in the State of New Jersey. The Governor shall issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.
4. P.L.1999, JR3 (C.36:2-51) is repealed.
5. This act shall take effect 90 days from enactment.
STATEMENT
The purpose of this bill is to inform and educate State employees and members of the public about the importance of organ and tissue donation and the options and programs available.
Specifically, the bill:
· Requires the Department of the Treasury to include organ and tissue donation information with employee paychecks during the month of April, which is "National Donate Life Month" and, pursuant to this bill, "Donate Life Month in New Jersey;"
· Requires the Department of the Treasury to encourage all business concerns awarded contracts with the State to notify their employees, through information and materials or through an organ and tissue awareness program, of organ donation options.
· Provides that the information provided to employees by the Department of the Treasury and State contractors concerning organ and tissue donation shall be prepared in collaboration with the organ procurement organizations designated pursuant to 42 U.S.C.s.1320b-8 to serve in this State.
· Designates the month of April each year as "Donate Life Month," and directs the Governor to issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and the citizens of this State to observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.
· Repeals P.L.1999, JR3 (C.36:2-51), which established the third week in April each year as "National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week" in the State of New Jersey, since that statute is obviated by the new designation in this bill.
· The bill takes effect 90 days after enactment.