Gov. Phil Murphy To Sign First 2 Bills Into Law On Wednesday

Gov. Phil Murphy has announced that he plans to sign his first bills into law this week, and they both deal with providing more money for women's health services.

One bill, S-120, will restore $7.45 million in funding cut by former Gov. Chris Christie in 2010 for family planning clinics that provide services for women. The other bill will extend Medicaid coverage of family planning services to more women and allow the state to obtain federal matching funds, according to the bills' sponsors.

Murphy announced on social media that he plans to sign the bills into law on Tuesday. "When my signature makes the bill law, the hands of so many women throughout New Jersey will be guiding mine," Murphy said.

The legislation was sponsored by two Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Republican Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman. Weinberg cited the Christie administration's attempts to cut funding for women's health as a reason for the measures.

“In the face of an anti-women’s health administration, we worked tirelessly over the last eight years to restore this lifesaving funding and reverse the devastating impact of Governor Christie’s family planning cuts,” Weinberg said in a release. “It is critical that we restore access to care, which is why we made it a priority to send these bills to the governor’s desk early in the legislative session. I look forward to seeing these measures signed into law.”

In the 2011 budget, Christie eliminated $7.5 million in grants for family planning services. Because of the cuts, Planned Parenthood was forced to close six women’s health clinics, according to the bills' sponsors.

When the Christie Administration defunded (Planned Parenthood) and women’s health clinics, tens of thousands of women throughout New Jersey lost access to quality, affordable primary care," Murphy said. "It’s time to right that wrong."

Planned Parenthood Action Fund of NJ has said that since funding for family planning services was cut from the budget in 2010, the number of cases of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases has increased 35 percent statewide. In half of New Jersey counties, the increase has been nearly 50 percent or above.

The grants would provide information and counseling on reproductive choices, physicals, cancer screenings, pregnancy testing, the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal counseling and substance abuse programs, among other important health services that many women can’t afford or are otherwise unable to access, according to the bills' sponsors.

“We have fought aggressively for the restoration of family planning funds, and added millions of dollars to the budget over the last eight years, because we believe access to preventive care, cancer screenings, STI testing and other services is critically important. We are proud to have moved these bills so quickly in the new session,” said Sweeney.

The second bill, S-105, would provide Medicaid coverage for family planning services to individuals with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level – up from the current 138 percent of the federal poverty level. This expansion would entitle New Jersey to $9 in federal reimbursement for every additional dollar the state spends for family planning services provided through the Medicaid program, according to the bills' sponsors.

Extending Medicaid eligibility to non-pregnant women with income up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level – the same threshold used for pregnant women – would provide increased access to family planning services and address substantial disparities and coverage gaps for New Jersey residents.

S-105 was approved by a vote of 35-5 in the Senate and 52-20-0 in the Assembly; S-120 was approved by a vote 29-10 in the Senate and 47-20-6 in the Assembly.

Gov. Phil Murphy photo