Following last year’s deadly adenovirus outbreak at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed a bill into law that requires certain long-term care facilities to submit outbreak response plans to the New Jersey Department of Health in order to respond immediately in the event of an outbreak.

The signing of A-5527/S-3900 into law comes almost on the one-year anniversary of the tragic outbreak at the long-term care facility for severely ill children in Wanaque that claimed nearly a dozen lives and infected dozens more.

“Although nearly a year has passed since the tragic outbreak in Wanaque, we have not forgotten about the 11 children who were taken from us far too soon,” Murphy said in a statement. “I am proud to sign legislation today requiring long-term care facilities to have outbreak plans in place to reduce the chances of a similar tragedy from ever happening again.”

Acting Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli added: “Breaches in infection control practices are a major contributing factor in the spread of disease in health care facilities. Outbreak response plans help facilities remain aware of the need to contact and work with public health to implement practices to minimize further spread of disease.”

The legislation is sponsored by Assembly Members Herb Conaway Jr., D-Burlington, Christopher P. Tully, D-Bergen; and Lisa Swain, D-Bergen, and Sens. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Troy Singleton, D-Burlington.

The bills sailed quickly to passage in both houses within weeks, according to electronic legislative records. The Assembly bill was first introduced and referred to the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee on June 6. Two weeks later, it passed the full Assembly by a 76-0-1 vote. The Senate version was introduced June 6 and referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, and was reported out of that committee June 17. The Senate bill received a second reading June 20, and was amended and approved by the full Senate by a 37-0 vote June 27. The amended legislation also had a second reading on concurrence in the Assembly and passed that house by a 74-0 vote, also on June 27.

The legislation requires certain long-term care facilities to develop an outbreak response plan within 180 days after the bill’s effective date. These plans are to include protocols for isolating infected and at-risk patients in the case of an outbreak, policies for notification of family and staff, and other requirements for containing outbreaks. Facilities such as the Wanaque Center that care for particularly vulnerable, ventilator-dependent residents will be required to submit a more detailed response plan to the DOH for review, according to Persichilli.

“While outbreaks such as the one at the Wanaque facility are largely preventable through hand washing and other infection control practices, there is still a risk that outbreaks can occur, particularly at long-term care facilities,” said the bill’s Assembly sponsors in a joint statement. “This new law gives the public peace of mind that their loved ones in long-term care facilities are being cared for by people who are prepared to respond as quickly and appropriately as possible in the event of this type of health emergency.”

Vitale, chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, described the Wanaque tragedy as “heartbreaking.”

“When 11 children passed away at Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation last year, New Jersey was devastated,” Vitale said in a statement. “We wanted to do everything we could to prevent this from happening again. Implementing an outbreak response plan in case of emergency is good policy and even better practice, and I am glad the governor decided to take action on this today.”

Debbie White, a registered nurse and president of Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), a labor union based in Emerson, said the new law “will provide oversight to ensure that long-term care facilities have a plan to respond immediately to a potential threat.”

“The health care workers of 1199SEIU applaud Gov. Murphy and the Legislature for enacting bipartisan legislation to ensure that nursing homes protect patients during viral outbreaks,” said Milly Silva, executive vice president of benefits provider 1199SEIU, in a statement.