17:1D-1 Office for e-HIT.

8. a. There is established in the Department of Banking and Insurance the Office for the Development, Implementation, and Deployment of Electronic Health Information Technology in New Jersey, to be known as the Office for e-HIT.

b. The Office for e-HIT, in collaboration with the Health Information Technology Commission, shall develop, implement, and oversee the operation of a Statewide health information technology plan. The plan shall provide for, but not be limited to, a mechanism designed to support the establishment of a secure, integrated, interoperative, and Statewide electronic health information infrastructure for the sharing of electronic health information and electronic health records among health care facilities, health care professionals, public and private payers, and patients, which complies with all State and federal privacy requirements and links all components of the health care delivery system through secure and appropriate exchanges of health information for the purpose of enhancing health care quality, patient safety, communication of patient information, disease management capabilities, patient and provider satisfaction, clinical and administrative cost reductions, fraud and abuse prevention and detection, and public health emergency preparedness. The plan shall also provide for the designation of a custodian for all protected health information that meets federal and State privacy and security laws and is accredited by a national standard setting organization recognized by the department.

c. The Office for e-HIT shall submit the plan to the Health Information Technology Commission for the commission's review and approval.

d. In collaboration with the commission, the Office for e-HIT shall, no later than 18 months after its initial meeting and annually thereafter, submit a joint report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), concerning its activities and the status, and actions taken regarding development, implementation, and oversight, of the Statewide health information technology plan. The office shall include in that report any findings and recommendations that it desires to make, along with any legislative bills that it desires to recommend for adoption by the Legislature.

L.2007, c.330, s.8.