The Office of Certificate of Need and Healthcare Facility Licensure of the Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing Division in the Senior Services and Health Systems Branch of the Department of Health and Senior Services (Department) is proposing the readoption of N.J.A.C. 8:43D, Standards for Licensure of Pediatric Community Transitional Homes, with amendments and new rules.� The notice of proposal appears in the January 5, 2009 issue of the New Jersey Register.

������

������ The rules at N.J.A.C. 8:43D have provided and would continue to provide the regulatory framework to fulfill the Department's obligation, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 26:2H-1 et seq., specifically 26:2H-5, to assure access to pediatric community transitional homes of the highest quality.� The purpose of the rules proposed for readoption and the proposed amendments and new rules is to establish uniform licensing requirements for all pediatric community transitional homes in the State, which promote a coordinated array of supportive health care, personal, and social services for medically fragile children.� The rules at N.J.A.C. 8:43D establish licensure procedures; qualifications and requirements for administration and staff; resident care policies; a variety of services for residents; recordkeeping standards; requirements for resident rights; and standards for health and safety of residents.

������

������ In this rulemaking, the Department proposes the following amendments and new rules: the correction of outdated contact information; prohibition of smoking in compliance with existing law; correction of outdated immunization recommendations; a reference to existing immunization requirements for residents that attend schools, preschools, or child-care centers; updated tuberculosis screening standards; and a reference to existing requirements for reporting communicable diseases.� The proposed new rules are Appendices A and B, which contain the required forms for licensure and to request a waiver from requirements of the chapter and which are already in use.

������ �

������ The public has until March 6, 2009 to comment on the notice of proposal.� Persons wishing to comment on the proposal must submit their comments in writing to Ruth Charbonneau, Director, Office of Legal and Regulatory Affairs, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Health and Senior Services, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360.� Written comments on the proposal must be postmarked on or before March 6, 2009, which is the close of the 60-day public comment period.

###

�