TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator Bob Smith which would appropriate $6 million to the central New Jersey affiliate of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) to provide for comprehensive care and research was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 38-0.
“With our State’s unfortunate longtime reputation as a ‘cancer corridor’ state, New Jersey needs to show support for cancer treatment and research,” said Senator Smith, D-Middlesex and Somerset, the Chairman of the Senate Environment Committee. “To this end, New Jersey’s efforts have been recognized by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recently named the Garden State as a ‘cancer control’ state, but simple designation isn’t enough to roll back the tide of the disease. We need to continue to provide funding for the top notch cancer treatment and cutting edge research that will someday yield a cure.”
The bill, S-1862, would provide a supplemental appropriation of $6 million to the Department of Health and Senior services to increase the grant awarded to CINJ’s central Jersey affiliate, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, for the Fiscal Year 2005. In June, CINJ was awarded $18 million during the FY2005 Budget negotiations to be split among North and South Jersey affiliates, but with the inclusion of the $6 million supplemental bill, central New Jersey would also have access to services as well.
“CINJ has been at the forefront of the State’s response to cancer, and is leading the way in terms of research and treatment options for those living with the disease,” said Senator Smith. “They serve a vital roll in New Jersey’s health care safety net, serving more than 60,000 patients annually, and the research being conducted there shows promise in understanding and eradicating cancer. By funding a Central New Jersey affiliate, we are making the services that CINJ provides available to all of the people of the Garden State.”
The bill now heads to the Assembly for consideration.