ASSEMBLY, No. 4941

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 17, 2019

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblyman  WILLIAM W. SPEARMAN

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires Commissioner of Health to establish maternity care public health campaign.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act regarding maternity care and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    The Commissioner of Health shall establish a maternity public health campaign, which shall, at a minimum:

     a.     encourage the public to access a user-friendly website, that is created and maintained by the Commissioner and which uses comparative data on maternal outcomes and information to help mothers choose maternal care providers and birthing locations;       

     b.    disseminate aggregated data to the public regarding: rates of Cesarean births, breast feeding, and vaginal birth after cesarean delivery;

     c.     promote the use of shared decision-making models and decision-making aids;

     d.    disseminate information to healthcare professionals regarding how to document preferred care in health records;

     e.     disseminate information to the public on becoming engaged in maternity care, making informed choices, patient rights, experiencing physiological processes before and after birth, avoiding interventions, and using high-value forms of care such as midwives, birthing centers, doulas, and lactation support;

     f.     promote the Commissioner's Community Health Workers and Central Intake Programs through the Improving Pregnancy Outcomes Initiative or a successor program;

     g.    provide information on the department's Internet website regarding parents' rights to family leave pursuant to P.L.2008, c.17 (C.43:21-39 et al.), the "Family Leave Act," P.L.1989, c.261 (C.34:11B-1 et seq.), and 29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq., the federal Family and Medical Leave Act;

     h.    information about breastfeeding and pregnancy discrimination rights pursuant to P.L.2013, c.220; and

     i.     information about edibility and the application process for the Medically Needy program under the federal Medicaid program for pregnant women.

 

     2.    The Department of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the provisions of section 1 of this act. 

 

     3.    This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires the Commissioner of Health (commissioner) to establish a maternity public health campaign.

     Under the bill, the commissioner is to, at a minimum: (1) encourage the public to access a user-friendly website, that is created and maintained by the commissioner and which uses comparative data on maternal outcomes and information to help mothers choose maternal care providers and birthing locations; (2) disseminate aggregated data to the public regarding: rates of Cesarean births, breast feeding, and vaginal birth after cesarean delivery; (3) promote the use of shared decision-making models and decision-making aids; (4) disseminate information to healthcare professionals regarding how to document preferred care in health records; (5) disseminate information to the public on becoming engaged in maternity care, making informed choices, experiencing physiologic processes before and after birth, avoiding interventions, using high-value forms of care such as midwives, birthing centers, doulas, and lactation support, and patient rights; (6) promote the Commissioner's Community Health Workers and Central Intake Programs through the Improving Pregnancy Outcomes Initiative or a successor program; (7) provide information on the department's Internet website regarding parents' rights to family leave in New Jersey and the federal programs for pregnant women; (8) information about breastfeeding and pregnancy discrimination rights pursuant to P.L.2013, c.220; and (9) information about edibility and the application process for the Medically Needy program under the federal Medicaid program for pregnant women.