Senator Nia H. Gill Announces Primary Sponsorship of Bill Requiring Reporting of COVID-19 Demographic Data.

MONTCLAIR – Senator Nia H. Gill (D-Essex/Passaic) is proud to announce Senate Bill 2357 which requires hospitals to collect and report racial demographic data on COVID19, passed the Senate and Assembly on Monday April 13, 2020.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has only highlighted the disparities we know exist in healthcare for people of color and low-income communities. People of color hold a majority of the service sector jobs that have been deemed essential and thus are on the front lines coming in contact with this disease. This legislation is needed in order to provide a clear picture of who is being impacted by COVID-19.”

“People of color suffer far more from comorbidities that exacerbate the risk of fatal complications when they contract this disease. Even when accounting for socioeconomic status, people of color have worse health outcomes and are less likely to receive treatment. In order to address these disparities, we must have data on who is being tested, who is being treated, and what the treatment outcomes are.”

“I look forward to seeing this legislation signed into law. We cannot allow this pandemic to be yet another example of people of color and those with low income receiving unequal treatment in our healthcare system,” said Senator Gill.