New Jersey lawmakers are considering legislation that would establish a statewide stockpile of essential medicines, vaccines and medical supplies for use during emergencies.
The New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee advanced a bill would require the New Jersey Department of Health and State Office of Emergency Management to create and maintain a reserve of critical medical resources for deployment during public health emergencies, disease outbreaks, natural disasters and other large-scale emergencies, according to a June 11 news release.
The bill also would require the state to develop plans for managing and distributing supplies, with special consideration for rural and medically underserved communities. The Department of Health would be permitted to work with private vendors to help maintain the stockpile.
Lawmakers said the legislation was prompted by supply chain challenges exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and is intended to improve the state’s emergency preparedness.
