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Bill

A 3512

Relates to crimes committed against a child

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Angelino and 13 co-sponsors

Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare must cover medically tailored nutrition services—including meals, foods, subsidies, and nutrition therapy—for enrollees with specified conditions, overse

REFERRED TO CODES
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Bill Summary · A 3512

Summary of Assembly Bill A-3512 (Nutrition Services for Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare Enrollees)

Note: The introduced text of A-3512 focuses on medically tailored nutrition services rather than the bill’s title reference “Relates to crimes committed against a child.” The bill’s status shows it has been referred to codes.

Purpose and intent

  • To require Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare to cover medically tailored nutrition services for enrollees with specific diet-related medical conditions.
  • Aims to prevent, manage, or treat diet-related illnesses by providing nutrition services designed by a licensed dietician or licensed nutritionist and prescribed by a medical professional.

Key provisions

Definitions (Section 1)

  • Establishes terms for the bill, including:
    • Medically tailored nutrition services
    • Medically tailored meals
    • Medically tailored foods
    • Nutritious food subsidies
    • Near-complete nutrition (defined as >50% of daily caloric needs)
  • Aligns defined terms with related statutes (nutritionists, dieticians, Medicaid, NJ FamilyCare, medical nutrition therapy).

Coverage (Section 2)

Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare must cover, when prescribed by a licensed physician or primary care provider and overseen by a dietician or licensed nutritionist:

1) Medically tailored meals
- At least 10 meals per week for enrollees with:
- Congestive heart failure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Renal disease

2) Medically tailored foods
- Amount sufficient for 14 meals per week for enrollees with:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity

3) Nutritious food subsidies
- $25 per week or greater for enrollees with:
- Pre-diabetes
- Overweight
- Hypertension

4) Medical nutrition therapy
- Amount and duration determined by the prescribing physician
- For enrollees with:
- Diabetes
- Renal disease

  • All such services must be designed and overseen by a dietician or licensed nutritionist as part of a treatment plan.

Administration and implementation (Sections 3–4)

  • Commissioner of Human Services must pursue federal waivers or state plan amendments as needed to implement the act and maintain federal financial participation under Medicaid and CHIP.
  • The Commissioner must adopt rules and regulations to implement the act under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Effective date (Section 5)

  • The act takes effect on the first day of the fourth month after enactment, with possible anticipatory administrative action to implement.

Who is affected

  • Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare enrollees diagnosed with specified metabolic or chronic conditions (as listed above).
  • Providers: medical professionals who prescribe services and dieticians/licensed nutritionists who design and oversee treatment plans.

Potential impact and rationale

  • Aims to reduce hospital admissions, ED visits, and long-term health costs through targeted dietary interventions.
  • Cites evidence on the cost-saving potential of dietary interventions and ongoing demonstrations in some states.
  • Provisions emphasize quality control and clinical oversight by qualified nutrition professionals.

Legislative history and status

  • Introduced: February 5, 2024
  • Initial referral: Assembly Children, Families and Food Security Committee
  • Current status: Referred to Codes (as of 2025-01-28; duplicate listing noted)

Related context

  • Related bills in prior sessions (A 9109, A 4011, A 6354, A 5754, A 5605) address nutrition and related health policy topics.
  • The bill’s sponsor list includes multiple assembly members and cosponsors.

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

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