The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee this morning released A-804, which requires state and county correctional facilities to offer inmates hepatitis B and hepatitis C testing.

According to the New Jersey Reentry Services Commission’s 2019 report, between 12 to 35 percent of inmates in New Jersey state prisons and county jails are hepatitis carriers while only one percent of the general population is affected.

“More than half of all people living with hepatitis are unaware they have it,” said Assemblyman Assemblyman Verrelli (D-15), one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “As a treatable disease, half the battle becomes screening for it. At the end of the day, this legislation is about taking prudent steps to ensure fairness and safety are central within our criminal justice system.”

Under the bill, the Commissioner of Corrections and the chief executive officer, warden, or keeper of any county correctional facility are required to offer blood testing for hepatitis B and hepatitis C to every inmate who is sentenced to a term of incarceration at a State or county correctional facility.

The testing at State and county correctional facilities would be offered upon commencement of an inmate’s period of confinement; however, an inmate is not to be required to submit to the testing.

John Donnadio, executive director of the New Jersey Association of Counties, said his organization does not back the legislation.

“It’s a mandate,” he said. “We’re concerned about how we’re going to implement. …The state would have to come up with some kind of funding mechanism.”

The Republicans voted no on the bill, overruled by the Democrats.

Stanfield: no

Peterson: no

DiMaso: no

Swain: yes

Sumter (pictured, above, a co-sponsor of the bill): yes

Pinkin: yes

Carter: yes

Chaparro: yes

Taliaferro yes