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By DMUAdmin Joseph Vitale News & Releases

08 Dec: Vitale Bill To Ease Economic Pressures On Closing Hospitals Approved

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee Chairman, Senator Joseph F. Vitale, which would make changes to the Hospital Asset Transformation Program to provide financial assistance to nonprofit hospitals in the process of closing was approved by the Committee today by a vote of 7-0, with 3 abstentions.

“New Jersey needs to do everything it can to ensure a healthy hospital network which meets the health care needs of its residents,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “However, there are times when demand has dried up, or costs are too high, and the only sensible solution is to re-focus our limited State resources elsewhere. When closure is inevitable, the State has a responsibility to make that process as painless as possible for the care-providers and the community at large.”

By DMUAdmin Joseph Vitale News & Releases

08 Dec: Vitale Bill To Require Insurance Coverage For Eating Disorders Advances

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would require all health insurers in New Jersey and the State Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) to provide the same insurance coverage for the treatment of eating disorders as it applies to other biologically-based mental illnesses was approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today.

“According to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, nearly 8 million people around the country – or about 3 percent of the country’s population – suffer from eating disorders,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Chairman of the Senate Health panel. “These are not cases of someone going to the gym more than they should, or skipping a dessert every now and then – these are people who need treatment for serious, potentially life-threatening mental illness. Insurance providers have a responsibility to cover the treatment that people need in order to overcome the epidemic of eating disorders, and in New Jersey, we want to hold them to that responsibility.”

By DMUAdmin Joseph Vitale News & Releases

08 Dec: Vitale Bill To Exempt Senior Homeowners From Building Permit Fees Approved In Committee

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale which would permit towns to exempt senior homeowners from municipal building permit fees was unanimously approved by the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee today.

“Senior homeowners on fixed incomes are among the hardest hit by New Jersey’s high cost of living,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “Wherever we can, we need to give our hardest-hit homeowners a little relief. By giving municipalities the option to exempt seniors from home-improvement building permit fees, we are giving them an added tool to encourage older New Jerseyans to stay in their communities, and continue to enrich the neighborhoods they helped build in the Garden State.”

By DMUAdmin Jeff Van Drew News & Releases

08 Dec: Van Drew ‘Pharmacy Quality Improvement Error Prevention Act’ Approved In Committee

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Jeff Van Drew which would establish an error prevention program among New Jersey’s pharmacies was unanimously approved by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee today.

“Pharmacists are only human, and mistakes can happen when filling a patient’s prescription,” said Senator Van Drew, D-Cape May and Cumberland. “However, those mistakes can have serious consequences if a patient ends up taking the wrong medication. This bill would help pharmacies avoid medical errors which could jeopardize the health and safety of their customers, and would make health care in New Jersey much safer.”

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Steve Sweeney

08 Dec: Sweeney Encourages Voters To Approve Funding Restrictions

TRENTON – Senate Majority Leader Stephen M. Sweeney today said the national financial crisis makes it more important than ever that voters sanction a ban on raids to funds that provide unemployment and other benefits.

His proposed constitutional amendment, SCR-60, which requires voter approval, would ban State raids of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, the Temporary Disability Fund and the Paid Family Leave Fund.

By DMUAdmin Fred H. Madden Jr News & Releases

08 Dec: Madden Bill Would Establish ‘Troops To College’ Program

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Fred H. Madden, which would assist veterans in making the transition from the armed services into college was unanimously approved today by the Senate Education Committee.

“This goal of this program is to provide information and resources to help make veterans aware of the programs and benefits available to them in their efforts to further their education,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “For many of our men and women in uniform, it’s been quite a few years since they graduated from high school, and this program would help educate them about financial aid, campus veterans’ assistance, and other resources designed to help our vets earn their degrees.”

By DMUAdmin News & Releases Shirley K. Turner

08 Dec: Turner Bill Advances To Move School Board Elections To November

TRENTON – The Senate Education Committee today approved a bill, S-1861, sponsored by Senator Shirley K. Turner to move school board elections from April to November to save tax dollars and to increase voter interest in local school management.

“It’s obvious from the turnout figures, year in and year out, that people don’t focus on school board elections held in April,” said Senator Turner, Chair of the Senate Education panel. “By holding the school board elections in November, there will be greater focus on those who are seeking to control millions of local education dollars.”

By DMUAdmin Jeff Van Drew News & Releases

08 Dec: Van Drew, Albano, Milam Back Call To Give Towns More Time To File Housing Plans

1st Legislative District – Senator Jeff Van Drew and Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matt Milam today backed a call by top Assembly leaders to give towns more time to submit housing plans to the state, but said more must be done to ease regulations, including rethinking a proposed 2.5 percent fee on commercial development.

The three lawmakers praised a request made by Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. and Assembly Housing and Local Government Chairman Jerry Green to give towns at least 90 more days to file plans with the state Council on Affordable Housing. Roberts and Green made their request in a letter sent to COAH.

By DMUAdmin M. Teresa Ruiz News & Releases Sandra Cunningham

08 Dec: Cunningham/Ruiz Bill Would Make Nj Stars Programs More Economically Sustainable For State

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Sandra Bolden Cunningham and Teresa Ruiz, which would make changes to the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) and the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship II (NJ STARS II), to keep these programs economically sustainable for the State of New Jersey, was approved today by the Senate Education Committee.

“Considering the dire fiscal straits the State is in, these programs must be changed to ensure that they can continue to provide access to higher education for the State’s best and brightest students,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson, who is a member of the NJ STARS Task Force. “I’ve listened to the testimony of students who have benefitted greatly from the NJ STARS programs, even in the short time since they were created. This is a tough, but necessary decision that we’ve had to make, and these revisions to the current law would allow the State to continue to provide these scholarship programs to hard-working New Jersey students.”

By DMUAdmin M. Teresa Ruiz News & Releases Sandra Cunningham

08 Dec: Cunningham/Ruiz Bill Would Work To Prevent ‘Straw Purchases’

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senators Sandra Bolden Cunningham and Teresa Ruiz, which would prohibit the sale and purchase of more than one hand-gun per person within a 30-day period was approved today by the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee by a vote of 3 to 2.

According to the sponsors, the bill is intended to prevent “straw purchasing,” or purchasing a firearm for someone who is not legally allowed to buy one.

The Senators’ bill, S-1774, would ban the sale or purchase of more than one handgun per person within a 30-day period. The bill would focus on straw purchasers and bulk sellers, who obtain multiple gun permits, buy the guns and then sell them on the black market to unlicensed buyers.

“With handgun violence seemingly on the rise all over the nation, it is imperative that we fight to control and reduce the number of guns on the streets,” said Senator Cunningham, D-Hudson. “This legislation is not an attempt to prohibit law enforcement officers or licensed gun collectors from exercising their Constitutional right to bear arms. Our goal is to impose severe regulations and significant barriers on criminals and straw gun purchasers, and send a clear message that we will fight to protect the safety of all of New Jersey’s neighborhoods.”

“While upstanding, licensed gun owners and law enforcement officers have every right to have firearms, convicted criminals and minors do not,” said Senator Ruiz, D-Essex and Union. “This legislation is a step in the right direction toward reclaiming our neighborhoods, and making them safe for children, the elderly, and all who call New Jersey their home.”

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