Bill Text: NJ A4402 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires crisis pregnancy centers to disclose certain information concerning licensure status and services provided.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-09-13 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Women and Children Committee [A4402 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A4402-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LISA SWAIN
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Requires crisis pregnancy centers to disclose certain information concerning licensure status and services provided.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act crisis pregnancy centers and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A crisis pregnancy center operating in the State of New Jersey shall be required to provide to its clients the following information:
(1) that the Department of Health encourages women who are or who think they may be pregnant to consult with a licensed health care professional;
(2) a list of all the services provided by the center;
(3) whether the center has a licensed health care professional on staff who provides or directly supervises the provision of all services at the center; and
(4) whether the center provides referrals to emergency contraception, abortion, or prenatal care services.
b. The information provided to a crisis pregnancy center's clients in accordance with subsection a. of this section shall be posted, in English and in Spanish, in the entrance of the center and in a conspicuous place in each room designated for use by a client of the center, and in any advertisement promoting the services provided by the center.
c. A notice of the information set forth in this section shall be given to a client of a crisis pregnancy center upon admission. The notice shall be written in language that the patient understands, and if the patient cannot read the notice, it shall be read to the client. Receipt of the notice shall be acknowledged in writing.
d. As used in this section, "crisis pregnancy center" means a nonprofit organization that provides peer counseling to women who are or who may be pregnant related to pregnancy, prenatal care, childbirth, and abortion, and offers financial assistance, child-rearing resources, adoption, and other non-medical services.
2. This act shall take effect immediately
STATEMENT
This bill requires crisis pregnancy centers operating in the State to provide to its clients certain information concerning the services provided by the center.
Specifically, a crisis pregnancy center would be required to provide the following information: that the Department of Health encourages women who are or who may be pregnant to consult with a licensed health care professional; a list of all the services provided by the center; whether the center has a licensed health care professional on staff who provides or directly supervises the provision of all services at the center; and whether the center provides referrals to emergency contraception, abortion, or prenatal care services.
Under the provisions of the bill, the information provided to a crisis pregnancy center's clients in accordance with the provisions of the bill would be posted, in English and Spanish, in the entrance of the center and in a conspicuous place in each room designated for use by the center's clients, and in any advertisement promoting the services provided by the center.
A crisis pregnancy center would also be required to provide a notice of the information set forth in the bill to a client upon admission. The notice would be written in language that the patient understands, and if the client cannot read the notice, it would be read to the client.
As used in the bill, "crisis pregnancy center" means a nonprofit organization that provides peer counseling to women who are or who may be pregnant related to pregnancy, prenatal care, childbirth, and abortion, and offers financial assistance, child-rearing resources, adoption, and other non-medical services.
