This bill establishes the New Jersey Reproductive Health Care Equitable Access Fund within the Department of the Treasury, allowing taxpayers to voluntarily contribute to the fund through their gross income tax returns. Taxpayers can indicate a portion of their refund or make an additional contribution to support reproductive health care services. The bill also stipulates that any administrative costs incurred by the Division of Taxation can be deducted from the contributions collected, with the net amount deposited into the fund.
Furthermore, the bill mandates that the Legislature annually appropriate the funds for distribution to the three largest providers of reproductive health care services to Medicaid patients in the state, as determined by the Commissioner of Health. These funds are intended to support individuals who cannot afford reproductive health care services, which are defined to include medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services related to the human reproductive system, including pregnancy and its termination. The act is set to take effect immediately and will apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 following its enactment.