5. The commissioner shall adopt, amend, promulgate and enforce such rules, regulations and minimum standards for the treatment of patients of narcotic and substance use disorder treatment centers as may be reasonably necessary to accomplish the purposes of P.L.1970, c.334 (C. 26:2G-21 et seq.). Such narcotic and substance use disorder treatment centers may be classified into two or more classes with appropriate rules, regulations and minimum standards for each such class. No narcotic or drug abuse treatment center, transitional sober living home, halfway house, or other residential aftercare facility shall be permitted to deny admission to a prospective client on the basis that the person is currently receiving medication assisted treatment for a substance use disorder administered by a licensed treatment provider, including but not limited to methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, or any other medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a substance use disorder.

The rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall, at a minimum, require a transitional sober living home, halfway house, or other residential aftercare facility to provide notice to a patient’s spouse, parent, legal guardian, designated next of kin, or other designated emergency contact, whenever the patient voluntarily withdraws, or is involuntarily evicted from, such facility, provided that: (1) such notice is provided in a manner that is consistent with federal requirements under 42 C.F.R. part 2 and federal HIPAA requirements under 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164; and (2) the patient, if an adult, has not withheld consent for such notice or expressly requested that notification not be given. If a patient who is not incapacitated withholds consent for such notice, or expressly requests that notification not be given, the department shall require the patient’s wishes to be respected unless the patient is a minor child or adolescent, in which case, the department shall require the minor’s parent, legal guardian, designated next of kin, or other designated emergency contact to be notified, provided that such notification is not inconsistent with, and would not violate, federal requirements under 42 C.F.R. part 2 and federal HIPAA requirements under 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164.

L.1970, c.334, s.5; amended 2015, c.284, s.2; 2017, c.131, s.91; 2017, c.256, s.1.