---
type: "Bill"
title: "Authorizes pharmacists to order and cause to be administered test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 or COVID-19 antibodies; requires health benefits and Medicaid coverage for tests.**"
description: "Authorizes pharmacists to order and cause to be administered test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 or COVID-19 antibodies; requires health benefits and Medicaid coverage for tests.**"
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "219"
identifier: "S 2436"
citation: "New Jersey S 2436 (219)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["DISEASE", "PHARMACEUTIC"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Benson, Daniel R.", "Gopal, Vin", "Greenstein, Linda R.", "Houghtaling, Eric", "Mukherji, Raj"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 14
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2020-05-07T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2020-09-30T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/59256720-0c8b-43a0-8ecf-ec7c7da83642"
source_url: "http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/downloads.asp"
source_hash: "3ca4aef06bbd5a813e91a5c313156ed504ea53aefafbc0976d9e3cbdfb29117d"
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 S 2436 (219) — Authorizes pharmacists to order and cause to be administered test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 or COVID-19 antibodies; requires health benefits and Medicaid coverage for tests.**

## 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/2020/Bills/S2500/2436_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2020/Bills/S2500/2436_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported favorably out of committee — **11–0** (pass) · lower
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **73–0** (pass) · lower
- CONCUR GOV REC — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- ADOPT GR — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported out of Senate committee with amendments — **12–0** (pass) · upper
- CONCUR GOV REC — **79–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Benson, Daniel R. — primary (person)
- Gopal, Vin — primary (person)
- Greenstein, Linda R. — primary (person)
- Houghtaling, Eric — primary (person)
- Mukherji, Raj — primary (person)
- Addiego, Dawn Marie — cosponsor (person)
- Brown, Chris A. — cosponsor (person)
- Caputo, Ralph R. — cosponsor (person)
- Cardinale, Gerald — cosponsor (person)
- DiMaso, Serena — cosponsor (person)
- Diegnan, Patrick J. — cosponsor (person)
- Freiman, Roy — cosponsor (person)
- Greenwald, Louis D. — cosponsor (person)
- Holzapfel, James W. — cosponsor (person)
- Jasey, Mila M. — cosponsor (person)
- Kean, Thomas H. — cosponsor (person)
- McKeon, John F. — cosponsor (person)
- Murphy, Carol A. — cosponsor (person)
- O'Scanlon, Declan J. — cosponsor (person)
- Pou, Nellie — cosponsor (person)
- Rooney, Kevin J. — cosponsor (person)
- Singer, Robert W. — cosponsor (person)
- Singleton, Troy — cosponsor (person)
- Swain, Lisa — cosponsor (person)
- Tully, P. Christopher — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-05-07T04:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2020-05-11T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2020-05-14T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (40-0) `passage`
- **2020-05-28T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Health Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-06-25T04:00:00+00:00** Transferred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2020-06-25T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2020-06-29T04:00:00+00:00** Substituted for A4012 (1R)
- **2020-06-29T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (73-0-0) `passage`
- **2020-08-13T04:00:00+00:00** Conditional Veto, Received in the Senate `executive-veto`
- **2020-08-27T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd Reading on Concur with Governor's Recommendations (38-0)
- **2020-09-24T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (39-0) `passage`
- **2020-09-24T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Assembly, 2nd Reading - Concur. w/Gov's Recommendations
- **2020-09-24T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (Passed Both Houses) (79-0-0) `passage`
- **2020-09-30T04:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2020, c.101. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/59256720-0c8b-43a0-8ecf-ec7c7da83642`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).