New Jersey-2010-A3452-Introduced

An Act establishing the New Jersey Water Supply and Pharmaceutical Product Study Commission.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature finds and declares that recent studies have shown measurable quantities of pharmaceutical products, such as antibiotics, hormones, and anti-depressants, in water supplies throughout the country, and that the effects of these substances, individually and in combination, on human health and the environment are unknown.

The Legislature further finds and declares that the increasing use of pharmaceuticals, in combination with the lack of information and systems for proper disposal of these substances, will likely result in increasing quantities of pharmaceuticals in the water supply of the State.

The Legislature further finds and declares that there is currently no adequate government guidelines or requirements for the proper disposal, detection and management of pharmaceutical products in water supplies, and, therefore, various proposals and systems should be examined to determine if such oversight is necessary, and if so, to determine the best method of pharmaceutical disposal management.

The Legislature further finds and declares that the public health and well-being, as well as public confidence in the water supply, are critical and, therefore, further study and investigation into the potential risks of pharmaceutical products in the water supply is necessary.

2. As used in this act:

"Commission" means the New Jersey Water Supply and Pharmaceutical Product Study Commission established pursuant to section 3 of this act.

"Department" means the Department of Environmental Protection.

"Pharmaceutical product" means any prescription or over-the-counter therapeutic drug including those used for veterinary purposes.

3. There is established the New Jersey Water Supply and Pharmaceutical Product Study Commission. The purpose of the commission shall be to investigate, quantify and evaluate the potential risks associated with pharmaceutical products in the water supply of the State and to develop recommendations for proper disposal methods and potential filtering techniques to remove pharmaceutical products from the waste stream.

a. The commission shall consist of nine voting members as follows:

(1) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(2) four members of the Senate, of whom two shall be members of the majority party appointed by the President of the Senate and two shall be members of the minority party appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; and

b. The commission shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than the 30th day after the appointment of its members, and shall select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members.

c. The commission shall meet at the call of its chairperson or a majority of its members, and may hold hearings at the times and in the places it may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill its charge.

d. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of commission business. Action may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the commission at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of a majority of the membership of the commission.

e. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but the commission may, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it, reimburse its members for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their official duties.

f. The commission shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, authority or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes, and to employ stenographic and clerical assistance and to incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as may be necessary in order to perform its duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes. The department shall provide staff support to the commission.

g. The commission shall report its findings and conclusions, together with any recommendations for legislative, administrative, or private sector action, to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C:52:14-19.1), to the Legislature within two years after the date of its initial meeting. Copies of the report shall also be made available to the public upon request at no charge or for a fee not to exceed the cost of reproduction, and the report shall be posted on the website of the department.

h. The commission shall expire on the 120th day after the transmittal of its report to the Governor and the Legislature.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would establish the New Jersey Water Supply and Pharmaceutical Product Study Commission. The purpose of the commission would be to investigate, quantify and evaluate the potential risks associated with pharmaceutical products in the State's water supply and to develop recommendations for proper disposal methods and potential filtering techniques to remove pharmaceutical products from the waste stream.

The commission would consist of nine voting members, as follows:

(1) the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

(3) four members of the General Assembly, of whom two shall be members of the majority party appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and two shall be members of the minority party appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly. The study commission would expire on the 120th day after transmittal of its report to the Governor and the Legislature.