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A 4695

Establishes centralized electronic health information exchange infrastructure to facilitate reentry into civilian life for recently incarcerated persons.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Carmen Morales and 2 co-sponsors

Establishes a centralized electronic health information exchange to securely share a recently incarcerated person’s health data with providers and reentry services, with consent.

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee
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Bill Summary · A 4695

Bill Summary: A-4695 (Session 222, New Jersey)

Title

Establishes centralized electronic health information exchange infrastructure to facilitate reentry into civilian life for recently incarcerated persons.

Purpose and Intent

  • Create a centralized electronic health information exchange (HIE) infrastructure in New Jersey.
  • Improve continuity of care for individuals transitioning from incarceration to civilian life by enabling secure sharing of health information among health care providers, correctional agencies, reentry programs, and addiction treatment providers.
  • Ensure sharing is patient-centered (at the patient’s request and with informed consent) and compliant with privacy laws.

Key Provisions

Establishment and Governance

  • Amends Section 5 of P.L.2007, c.330 to create and empower the New Jersey Health Information Technology Commission (the Commission).
  • The Commission is established within the Department of Health but remains independent of departmental supervision/control.

Responsibilities and Advisory Role

  • The Commission collaborates with the Office for e-HIT (established under the same act) regarding development, implementation, and oversight of the statewide health information technology plan.
  • When advising on the plan, the Commission must consider:
    • Public and professional education on the value of electronic health infrastructure.
    • How to achieve effective statewide use of electronic health information in patient care, policymaking, research, financing, and quality improvement.
    • Promotion of national interoperability standards (security, privacy, data content/structure, vocabularies, transmission protocols).
    • Strategic investments in equipment and infrastructure.
    • Funding needs for ongoing health IT projects.
    • Integration of existing health IT initiatives to avoid incompatibilities and duplication.
    • Incorporation of findings from the New Jersey Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration.
    • Data ownership, governance, confidentiality, and security considerations.
    • Promotion of health IT deployment in primary care settings.
    • Roles of open-source EHR software and application service provider (ASP) software in achieving deployment goals.

Plan Review

  • The Commission reviews the Statewide Health Information Technology Plan submitted by the Office for e-HIT and can require changes before approving the plan.

Establishment of Centralized EHR/HIE Infrastructure

  • The Commission shall establish centralized electronic health information exchange infrastructure to electronically store and share a patient’s health information.
  • Access and sharing may involve:
    • Health care professionals
    • Department of Corrections
    • Jails or prisons
    • Prisoner reentry programs or services
    • Addiction treatment services providers
  • The infrastructure is to facilitate exchange at the patient’s request and with the patient’s informed consent.
  • Compliance with federal and state privacy laws is required for storage and sharing protocols.

Relationship with Privacy and Security

  • The bill emphasizes adherence to applicable privacy laws and the secure handling of patient information.

Affected Parties and Stakeholders

  • New Jersey Health Information Technology Commission (established by the bill)
  • Office for e-HIT
  • Department of Health
  • Department of Corrections
  • Jails and prisons
  • Prisoner reentry programs and services
  • Addiction treatment providers
  • Health care professionals and health care organizations
  • Patients, specifically recently incarcerated individuals transitioning back to civilian life

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective Date: Immediate upon enactment.
  • Action History: Introduced and referred to the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee on March 16, 2026.
  • The timeline for establishing the centralized HIE infrastructure depends on the Commission’s approval of the statewide plan and subsequent implementation steps in collaboration with the Department of Health and the Department of Corrections.

Potential Impacts

  • Positive: Improved continuity of care for recently incarcerated individuals; better integration of correctional and community health services; potential reductions in recidivism through improved health management; enhanced privacy protections aligned with state and federal laws.
  • Operational: Requires coordination across multiple state agencies and adherence to privacy standards; potential investments in health IT infrastructure and interoperability.
  • Policy: Encourages use of interoperable standards, open-source options, and modern governance for statewide health information systems.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current NJ health IT policy or outline potential implementation milestones and a risk assessment.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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