Bill Text: NJ S1953 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Limits health insurance requirement for college students to those residing in campus dormitories.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-05-17 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Higher Education Committee [S1953 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S1953-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator NELLIE POU
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Limits health insurance requirement for college students to those residing in campus dormitories.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning health insurance for students at institutions of higher education and amending P.L.1991, c.187.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 77 of P.L.1991, c.187 (C.18A:62-15) is amended to read as follows:
77. a. Every student enrolled as a full-time student at a public or private institution of higher education in this State, who resides in a campus dormitory, shall maintain health insurance coverage which provides basic hospital benefits. The coverage shall be maintained throughout the period of the student's enrollment.
b. Every student enrolled as a full-time student, who resides in a campus dormitory, shall present evidence of the health insurance coverage required by subsection a. of this section to the institution at least annually, in a manner prescribed by the institution.
c. The [State] Department of Health and Senior Services shall require all public and private institutions of higher education in this State to offer health insurance coverage on a group or individual basis for purchase by students who are required to maintain the coverage pursuant to this section.
d. The Commissioner of Health and Senior Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to carry out the purposes of subsections a., b., and c. of this section.
e. The [Student Assistance Board in but not of the Department of the Treasury] Higher Education Student Assistance Authority shall adopt rules and regulations to require that a public or private institution of higher education in this State consider the coverage required pursuant to this section as an educational cost for purposes of determining a student's eligibility for financial aid.
f. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit a hospital in this State to deny access to hospital care to a full-time student whose health insurance coverage required by this section lapses for any reason.
g. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a person who is a participant in the [REACH program established pursuant to P.L.1987, c.282 (C.44:10-9 et seq.)] Work First New Jersey program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.).
(cf: P.L.1994, c.48, s.87)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill limits the current statutory requirement that every full-time student at a college or university in this State maintain health insurance coverage that provides basic hospital benefits to those students who reside in a campus dormitory.
The provisions of this bill are designed to alleviate the burden that will otherwise fall on community college students and their families, beginning in the fall 2012 semester, as a result of having to pay more costly health insurance premiums for enhanced benefits that are required pursuant to the federal "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," Pub.L.111-148, as amended by the federal "Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010," Pub.L.111-152.
