December 5, 2004

LIEN LAW ADVANCES

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee today joined the Assembly Appropriations Committee that met on Thursday in unanimously approving the Lien Law A779/S880. The bill(s) now go to the full Senate and Assembly for passage. A779/S880 will end the discriminatory practice of placing liens for the full cost of care on patients who are hospitalized at state and county psychiatric hospitals and certain members of their family.

NAMI NEW JERSEY advocates are to be congratulated for their outpouring of support that led to the Lien Law being scheduled in each appropriations committee in the closing days before the legislature’s holiday recess.

ACTION NEEDED

We must persuade the Senate and Assembly leaders to schedule A779 in the Assembly and A880 in the Senate for a full floor vote. Passage by each branch of the legislature would send the Lien Law to the Governor to be signed into law.

CONTACT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:

Advocates should contact the Senate and Assembly leaders and urge them to schedule A779 in the Assembly or S880 in the senate for a full floor vote as soon as possible. It is time for this discrimination to end.

S 880

Richard J. Codey (D)
449 Mount Pleasant Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052
(973) 731-6770
email through the web site http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Codey.asp

A779

Assemblyman Albio Sires
303 58th St.
West New York, NJ 07093
(201) 854-0900
email through the web site http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/Sires.asp