3. a. A taxpayer shall, for each month beginning after December 31, 2018, ensure that the taxpayer, if an applicable individual, and any dependent of the taxpayer who is an applicable individual, is covered under minimum essential coverage for that month.
b. In the case of any taxpayer who fails to meet the requirements of subsection a. of this section, there shall be imposed a State shared responsibility tax equal to a taxpayer's federal penalty that would apply for the taxable year under section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as in effect on December 15, 2017 (26 U.S.C. s.5000A).