Establishes multiple sclerosis public awareness campaign.

A2226

ASSEMBLY, No. 2226

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.

District 11 (Monmouth)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Peterpaul

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes multiple sclerosis public awareness
campaign.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

establishing a public awareness campaign on multiple
sclerosis and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statues.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� The Legislature finds and
declares that:

���� a.� Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is
a chronic disease in which myelin, the protective insulation surrounding nerve
fibers, is damaged and replaced by scars of hardened sclerotic tissue.

���� b.� Although not all symptoms
affect all MS patients, and the course of the disease varies greatly from
person to person, common symptoms of MS include fatigue, weakness, spasticity,
balance problems, bladder and bowel problems, numbness, vision loss, tremors
and depression.

���� c.� It is estimated that one
million people in the United States have been diagnosed with MS, and
approximately three million individuals live with the disease worldwide.

���� d.� MS is more common in women
than in men, and is most commonly diagnosed in individuals between the ages of
20 and 50, but it can develop in young children, teens, and older adults.

���� e.� Most individuals with MS
have a normal or near normal life expectancy; however, many individuals with MS
require mobility aids because of fatigue, weakness, or balance problems, or to
assist with conserving energy.

���� f.� Even though the exact
cause of MS is still unknown and there is no cure for MS, many therapeutic and
technological advances now help individuals manage their symptoms, and
medications can slow the underlying course of MS.

���� g.� Given all the health risks
associated with MS and the rising prevalence of the disease in the United
States and throughout the world, it is appropriate for the State of New Jersey
to establish a public awareness campaign to promote an understanding of the
scope of MS and provide information on how the disease can impact an individual's
quality of life.

���� 2.� a.� There is established a
multiple sclerosis (MS) public awareness campaign in the Department of Health�
in order to promote among the citizens of the State an understanding of MS,
including its causes and health effects, and to deliver information on how the
disease can impact an individual�s quality of life.

���� The public awareness campaign
may provide for the development of print and electronic media in languages
including, but not limited to, English and Spanish.

���� b.� The public awareness
campaign shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

���� (1) a comprehensive
description of MS, including a discussion of causes, symptoms, and treatment
options;

���� (2) information about
educational resources available to, and research being conducted to develop
effective therapies and find a cure for, those with MS; and

���� (3) materials on how MS can
impact an individual's quality of life and ways in which those with MS can
maintain the best health possible, live well with the disease, and make educated
decisions about their health care.

���� c.� The department shall make
available to the public, electronically on its website, information about MS, informational
literature concerning the signs, causes, health effects of the disease, and any
other information that the department deems to be necessary.� This information
may be revised by the department whenever new information about MS becomes
available.

���� 3.� The Department of Health
shall, in accordance with the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410
(C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt any rules and regulations as the department deems
necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

���� 4. �This act shall take effect
on the 30th day following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a
multiple sclerosis public awareness campaign in the Department of Health (DOH)
in order to promote among the citizens of the State an understanding of MS,
including its causes and health effects, and to deliver information on how the
disease can impact an individual�s quality of life.� The campaign may provide
for the development of print and electronic media in languages including, but
not limited to, English and Spanish.

���� The public awareness campaign is
to include, but not be limited to:� (1) a comprehensive description of MS,
including a discussion of causes, symptoms, and treatment options; (2)
information about educational resources available to, and research being
conducted to develop effective therapies and find a cure for, those with MS;
and (3) materials on how MS can impact an individual's quality of life and ways
in which those with MS can maintain the best health possible, live well with
the disease, and make educated decisions about their health care.

���� The DOH is to make available
to the public information about MS, informational literature concerning the
signs, causes, health effects of the disease, and any other information that
the department deems to be necessary, and the information may be revised
whenever new information about MS becomes available.