Assemblyman Herb Conaway, MD

DECEMBER 12, 2006 --- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONAWAY BILLS PASS ASSEMBLY

OVERSIGHT MEASURES A-5 AND A-2052 AIM TO IMPROVE EFFECIENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY IN STATE EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE

DELRAN PROFESSIONAL CENTER
8008 ROUTE 130 NORTH SUITE 125
DELRAN, NEW JERSEY 08075
PHONE (856) 461-3997 FAX (856) 461-3823
asmconners@njleg.org / asmconaway@njleg.org
CONTACT: Rick McKelvey
ASSEMBLY PASSES CONAWAY SCHOOLS LEGISLATION
Bill Provides for Various School District Accountability Measures

(TRENTON) – The New Jersey State Assembly Monday voted in favor of legislation drafted by Assemblyman Herb Conaway, MD, that aims to strengthen accountability in public schools throughout the state.
Assembly Bill 5, sponsored by Conaway and Assemblyman Brian Stack (D-Hudson), includes various provisions designed to increase public school district accountability. The legislation implements certain recommendations of the November, 2006 Report of the Joint Legislative Committee on Public School Funding Reform.
“Over the past months, I have listened to school officials, parents, and community leaders regarding how we can best improve education in our State,� said Conaway, who co-chaired the committee. “This bill acts on important oversight measures deemed necessary to give our children a better education and ensure the value of taxpayer dollars spent on education.�
The bill requires that all school districts, as a condition of receiving State aid, implement a number of efficiency standards intended to provide for savings on insurance policies, energy and telecommunications costs, and more.
The bill also proposes regulations regarding travel and expense reimbursement for employees of a school district and members of the board of education, and encourages more “user-friendly,� plain language budget summary forms to be provided to the public and made available on the internet, as well as more detailed information on certain salaried employees, including superintendents and administrators.
A-5 also seeks to ensure that a superintendent of schools or school business administrator may have his/her certification revoked by the State if it is believed that the person’s conduct warrants such action. The bill also authorizes the state to review the certification of any superintendent of schools or school business administrator of any district in which conditions exist that would allow the appointment of a State monitor.
“It is essential that the top officials of our school districts – those charged with the education of our children, the hiring of their teachers, and the use of our tax dollars – exhibit the utmost competence. In the event they do not, this bill provides the mechanism for their removal,� said Conaway.
The bill also strengthens and expands current requirements for the training of school board members and other school leaders by the New Jersey School Boards Association. The training would now include courses in the new school district monitoring system, the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJ QSAC), and the five key components of school district effectiveness set forth in NJ QSAC. During each of the subsequent two years of the members’ first term, they will also be required to complete additional training on school district governance. The bill additionally requires that every school board member, within one year of re-appointment or re-election, complete an advanced training program addressing any changes in the law or regulations that pertain to their responsibilities.
“When we elect our neighbors to positions on school boards, we expect their leadership in ensuring the quality of education and efficiency in spending at the local level,� said Conaway. “This advanced training program will assist members in serving more effectively on their boards.�
The Assembly approved the measure by a vote of 62 to 16 with 2 abstentions.
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CONAWAY BILL TO PROVIDE HOSPITAL CARE OVERSIGHT PASSES ASSEMBLY
Legislation Aims to Review Standard of Care at Certain Hospitals

(TRENTON) – Pledging increased oversight over nursing care New Jerseyans receive at hospitals across the state, Assemblyman Herb Conaway, MD has announced the passage of Assembly Bill 2052.
Sponsored by Conaway, the bill requires the State Department of Health and Senior Services to review the standard of care at health care facilities in which 40% or more of direct patient care nursing staff are temporary hires. This bill is intended to avert future impasses such as the one that arose between nursing staff and hospital administrators last year at Burlington County’s Lady of Lourdes hospital last year. Temporary nurses are usually hired through an agency to temporarily fill vacancies in nursing staff. Last session, the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing to discuss the potential compromise of the quality of care that may result from a high percentage of workers that may be unfamiliar with a particular health care environment. The bill seeks to monitor the quality of care in hospitals that rely heavily upon temporary nursing staff.
“The quality of care one receives during a hospital stay must be paramount to any personnel disputes at health care facilities,� said Conaway, the bill’s primary sponsor and Chairman of the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee. “By passing this legislation, the state has taken an important step towards ensuring top-notch care when you or a loved one is treated at a hospital.�

The bill provides that licensed health care facilities are required to promptly notify the Commissioner of Health and Senior Services when the number of registered professional nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or certified nurse aides hired to work at the facility on a temporary basis reaches 40% or more of that category of health care provider providing direct patient care at the facility. Upon receipt of notification, the Department of Health and Senior Services shall provide for an immediate, on-site review of the standard of care being provided to patients at the applicable facility and direct the facility to take any measures determined necessary by the department to ensure that appropriate care is provided to those patients.

Should any health care facility that fails to comply with the provisions of the bill, it would be subject to a penalty as determined by the commissioner pursuant to existing hospital oversight laws.

The measure – which is supported by the AFL-CIO, Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) organization, and NJ State Nurses Association – was approved by a vote of 72 to 6 in the Assembly, with 2 abstentions.
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