---
type: "Bill"
title: "Expands eligibility of inmates for medical parole and requires inmate's enrollment in Medicaid under certain circumstances."
description: "Expands eligibility of inmates for medical parole and requires inmate's enrollment in Medicaid under certain circumstances."
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "217"
identifier: "A 1661"
citation: "New Jersey A 1661 (217)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["CORRECTIONS", "PAROLE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cunningham, Sandra B.", "Dancer, Ronald S.", "Danielsen, Joe", "Schaer, Gary S.", "Sumter, Shavonda E."]
version_count: 2
action_count: 14
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2016-01-27T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2017-09-13T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/421520ed-1626-4295-925c-ac92a9f70385"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "7b828643d859b1a426c3f255623777232f243910f57c3e6529c0cd8679599ab1"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey A 1661 (217) — Expands eligibility of inmates for medical parole and requires inmate's enrollment in Medicaid under certain circumstances.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/A2000/1661_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/A2000/1661_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported favorably out of committee — **9–4** (pass) · legislature
- Reported without recommendation — **3–1** (pass) · legislature
- Reported favorably out of committee — **6–2** (pass) · legislature
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **50–27** (pass) · legislature
- Reported out of Assembly committee with amendments — **7–0** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- Cunningham, Sandra B. — primary (person)
- Dancer, Ronald S. — primary (person)
- Danielsen, Joe — primary (person)
- Schaer, Gary S. — primary (person)
- Sumter, Shavonda E. — primary (person)
- Chiaravalloti, Nicholas — cosponsor (person)
- Coughlin, Craig J. — cosponsor (person)
- Holley, Jamel C. — cosponsor (person)
- Johnson, Gordon M. — cosponsor (person)
- McKnight, Angela V. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2016-01-27T05:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2016-02-04T05:00:00+00:00** Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-06-20T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2016-06-27T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (50-27-0) `passage`
- **2016-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee `referral-committee`
- **2016-11-10T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading (without recommendation) `committee-passage`
- **2016-11-10T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-06-15T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2017-06-29T04:00:00+00:00** Senate Amendment (22-0) (Cunningham) `amendment-passage`
- **2017-07-13T04:00:00+00:00** Substituted for S3217 (1R)
- **2017-07-13T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (21-9) `passage`
- **2017-07-13T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading on Concurrence
- **2017-07-31T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (48-20-0) `passage`
- **2017-09-13T04:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2017, c.235. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/421520ed-1626-4295-925c-ac92a9f70385`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).