Vitale ‘New Jersey False Claims Act’ Approved By Senate

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator John H. Adler which would establish the “New Jersey False Claims Act” to protect against abuse and fraud within Medicaid and other State claims programs was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee by a vote of 14-0.

“We need better oversight over State assistance programs,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “Medicaid and other claims programs right now are open to massive abuse. We need to protect the State’s and the taxpayers’ interest in these programs. We cannot leave New Jersey vulnerable to waste, fraud and abuse.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senator John H. Adler which would establish the “New Jersey False Claims Act” to protect against abuse and fraud within Medicaid and other State claims programs was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 38-0.

“The federal government has had something in place since 1863 to recoup money paid out fraudulently,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “New Jersey is usually well ahead of the federal government when it comes to issues of fairness for our taxpayers. In this instance, we have to play catch-up to eliminate fraud in State government.”

TRENTON – State Senator Loretta Weinberg, an advocate in the State Legislature for reform measures designed to rein in abuse and waste of tax dollars at New Jersey’s independent authorities, today applauded Governor Christie for tackling some of those abuses through an executive order, and pledged to work with the Governor and his Administration to keep the pressure on.

“I haven’t fully reviewed the Governor’s executive order yet, but I will say this: anything that makes it harder for unelected authority heads and commissioners to waste the taxpayer’s money is a positive first step,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “For too long in New Jersey, spending at these independent authorities has gone unchecked, and taxpayers have footed the bill for lax oversight and blatant cronyism. The Governor’s order begins to address some of the waste perpetrated on the taxpayers of New Jersey through these ‘shadow government’ agencies and authorities which have run amok at our expense.”

TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the Senate Budget Committee’s approval, by a vote of 14-0, of a bill he sponsored entitled the “New Jersey Medicaid False Claims Act,” to crack down on fraud and abuse within the Medicaid program:

“Whatever the economic climate, it is imperative that we seek to eliminate waste and fraud in government to ensure that the services we offer are not tainted by unethical abuses, or over-inflated by those seeking to make a wrongful profit at the expense of the taxpayer.

TRENTON – Senator Loretta Weinberg, a leading champion of ethics reform in the State Legislature, today congratulated Assemblyman Scott Rumana for joining the ethics reform movement, saying that his calls for reform at the State’s quasi-governmental authorities echo many of the initiatives she’s tried to push through in the last few legislative sessions.

“With the ethics reform movement, we typically take all comers, and it’s always been the more the merrier in my book,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen. “Whether it’s deathbed conversions, reform for the sake of political expediency, or an honest-to-goodness epiphany, anything that moves us closer to the goal of more ethical government is a welcome development. I look forward to working with legislators and policymakers across the political spectrum – including our new Governor – to reduce government waste and give the taxpayers of New Jersey a government they can be proud of.”

TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators John H. Adler and Joseph F. Vitale which would establish the “New Jersey False Claims Act” to protect against abuse and fraud within Medicaid and other State claims programs was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 37-0.

“New Jersey needs to do everything in its power to stop fraud and abuse of the public trust, whether by private citizens or public officials,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “This bill will be another weapon in the arsenal of good government.”