STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Fund" and tax on opioid drugs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the "Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Fund," imposing a tax on opioid drugs, and supplementing Title 24 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. There is imposed on a wholesale distributor of drugs a tax on the first distribution in the State of a drug containing an active opioid ingredient, at the rate of one cent ($0.01) per milligram of active opioid ingredient. This tax shall be governed by the provisions of the State Uniform Tax Procedure Law, R.S.54:48-1 et seq. As used in this section, "distribution," "drug," and "wholesale distributor" have the same meanings as those terms are defined in section 5 of P.L.2005, c.206 (C.24:6B-14).
2. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special nonlapsing fund to be known as the "Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Fund." The State Treasurer shall deposit amounts collected from the tax imposed pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) in the "Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Fund." The Legislature shall annually appropriate all monies in the fund to the Department of Human Services for the support of programs that provide treatment for substance use disorders to individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in the Medicaid program established pursuant to P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.).
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to wholesale distributions of opioid drugs made on or after the first day of the second calendar quarter next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the "Opioid Prevention and Rehabilitation Program Fund," which would support programs that provide treatment for individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or enrolled in the Medicaid program. The fund would be supported by a tax on the first wholesale distribution of an opioid drug in this State at the rate of one cent per milligram of active opioid ingredient.
As used in the bill, "distribution," "drug," and "wholesale distributor" have the same definitions as the current law providing for the licensure of pharmaceutical wholesale distributors.