New Jersey S 1294: Limits upfront costs for oral anticancer medications for persons covered under certain health benefits plans.

Bill Text

S1294 

SENATE, No. 1294 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Permits exception to VCCO compensation reporting 
requirement for unreported sexual offenses if victim received certain forensic 
medical services.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning crime compensation for victims of sexual 
assault and amending P.L.1971, c.317.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 
18 of P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-18) is amended to read as follows: 

���� 18.� An 
order for the payment of compensation shall not be made under section 10 of 
P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-10) unless the application has been made within five 
years after the date of the personal injury or death or after that date upon 
determination by the office that good cause exists for the delayed filing, and 
the personal injury or death was the result of an offense listed in section 11 
of P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-11) which had been reported to the police or other 
appropriate law enforcement agency or, when the personal injury or death was 
the result of an offense listed in paragraph (9) of subsection b. of section 11 
of P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-11) which had not been reported to the police or 
other appropriate law enforcement agency but for which a sexual assault 
response team established pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2001, c.81 (C.52:4B-54) 
has provided forensic medical services, within nine months after its 
occurrence or reasonable discovery.� If the victim is under 18 years of 
age, the five-year limit on filing shall commence on the day the victim turns 
18 years old.� For the purposes of this section, "good cause" shall 
include, but not be limited to, instances where the victim or the victim's 
dependents were not appropriately informed of the benefits offered by the 
office as required by law.� The office will make its determination regarding 
the application within 90 days of acknowledgment by the office of receipt of 
the completed application and any and all necessary supplemental information, 
provided that this period may be extended for good cause if an administrative 
denial would otherwise result.� Notwithstanding this time period, the office 
shall reimburse the claimant or pay to any third-party service provider the 
amount claimed to be due and owing within 30 days after eligibility has been 
determined and the amount submitted for payment has been determined by the 
office to be fair and reasonable.

���� In determining the amount of 
an award, the office shall determine whether, because of the victim's conduct, 
the victim of such crime contributed to the infliction of the victim's injury, 
and the office shall reduce the amount of the award or reject the application 
altogether, in accordance with the determination, except that the office is 
authorized to make a limited award for funeral benefits, mental health 
counseling, loss of support for dependent children, and attorneys' fees in 
cases of criminal homicide when it is determined that the victim's conduct was 
a contributing factor to the victim's death.� The office shall not consider any 
conduct of the victim contributory toward the victim's injury, if the record 
indicates the conduct occurred during efforts by the victim to prevent a crime 
or apprehend a person who had committed a crime in the victim's presence or had 
in fact committed a crime. 

���� The office may reduce an award 
where the victim has not paid in full any payments owed on assessments imposed 
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1979, c.396 (C.2C:43-3.1) or restitution ordered 
following conviction for a crime and the office may deduct any amount due for 
these assessments or restitution from an award of compensation and make 
payments to satisfy these obligations prior to making any payments of 
compensation to the victim. 

���� No compensation shall be 
awarded if: 

���� a.��� Compensation to the 
victim proves to be substantial unjust enrichment to the offender or if the 
victim did not cooperate with the reasonable requests of law enforcement 
authorities unless the victim demonstrates a compelling health or safety reason 
for not cooperating; or 

���� b.��� (Deleted by amendment, 
P.L.1990, c.64.) 

���� c.��� The victim was guilty of 
a violation of subtitle 10 or 12 of Title 2A or subtitle 2 of Title 2C of the 
New Jersey Statutes, which caused or contributed to the victim's injuries; or 

���� d.��� The victim was injured 
as a result of the operation of a motor vehicle, except as provided in 
subsection c. or d. of section 11 of P.L.1971, c.317 (C.52:4B-11), boat, or 
airplane unless the vehicle, boat, or airplane was used as a weapon in a 
deliberate attempt to run the victim down; or 

���� e.��� The victim