Bill Text: NJ S4170 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "Community-led Birthing Justice and Equity Resource Initiative Program Act;" appropriates $12 million.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-11 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S4170 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4170-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE
District 34 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
"Community-led Birthing Justice and Equity Resource Initiative Program Act;" appropriates $12 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning black maternal and infant health, supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Community-led Birthing Justice and Equity Resource Initiative Program Act."
2. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country, more than doubling between 1999 and 2019, with Black women experiencing the worst outcomes.
b. The Initiative for Disease Control Maternal Mortality, a collaboration between the CDC Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, found that in the United States, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to white women.
c. The CDC also found that the maternal mortality rate for Black women is 46.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 14.7 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women. Black women experience higher rates of preterm birth compared to white women at 14.1 percent, compared to 9.1 percent for white women, and Black women die from pregnancy-related complications at three times the rate of white women.
d. In New Jersey, these statistics are even worse. The Department of Health's 2016-2018 Maternal Mortality Report found that more than 90 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in New Jersey were preventable, and in 2019, New Jersey was ranked 47th in the United States for maternal deaths, and had one of the widest racial disparities for both maternal and infant mortality.
e. In 2023, the national average of infant mortality was 5.67 per 1,000 live births, but that rate nearly doubled for infants of Black women at 10.75 per 1,000 live births. In the same year, Black babies born in New Jersey had a higher infant mortality rate than white babies, with Black infants 3.4 times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies.
f. Implicit and explicit bias and systemic racism plays a major role in pregnancy-related complications, and studies have found that the structural racism Black women experience in the health care delivery system, contributes significantly to higher rates of preventable death during child birth compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
g. In New Jersey, Black women have reported that healthcare providers often fail to listen to their pregnancy-related needs and concerns, and the systemic racism created by predominantly white healthcare institutions, the demise of Black midwifery, the closure of maternity care units throughout the State, and the growth of birthing deserts and maternal toxic zones have had an impact on Black birthing outcomes. This has led to racial disparities in the State's Black maternal and infant mortality rates.
h. Such disparities are particularly evident in predominately Black and Hispanic urban cities such as Atlantic City, East Orange, Newark, Plainfield, and Trenton, which experience the highest maternal and infant health disparities. For example, Trenton is among the cities with the highest rates of Black and Hispanic infant mortality, and only 47 percent of mothers in Trenton receive prenatal care in their first trimester.
i. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's 2023 Maternal Health Fact Sheet highlighted that community birthing initiatives have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing adverse maternal outcomes. These initiatives emphasize holistic, culturally sensitive care, often provided by midwives and doulas, whose presence during childbirth, can decrease the likelihood of complications, such as unplanned cesarean sections, which Black women disproportionately experience even after controlling for medical risks.
j. The Department of Health's 2016-2018 Maternal Mortality Report also found that in predominately underserved Black communities, there is a need for the State to create and fully support community-birthing initiatives, specifically those that engage with Black OBGYNs, midwives, doulas, and other medical professionals of similar race, ethnicity, and nationality, if appropriate, in order to provide Black women the most culturally congruent options for their health and the health of their babies.
k. In order to acknowledge and address the racial and health disparities that have created a public health crisis for Black women and their babies, it is necessary to create community-led birth and wellness resource initiatives consisting of medical professionals, staff, and services providing the necessary culturally congruent care that is critical to ensuring healthy and positive birth outcomes in communities like Atlantic City, East Orange, Newark, Plainfield, and Trenton.
l. Black mothers and babies are more likely to live and have positive health outcomes and experiences when provided culturally congruent care by Black physicians, midwives, and doulas. It is therefore, in the best interest of the State to create a system of community-led birthing and wellness resource initiatives that provide culturally congruent maternal and infant health care services for, and promote the health and wellness of, Black families in predominately underserved Black and Hispanic urban core communities.
3. As used in this act:
"Authority" means the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-20).
"Community-led birth and wellness resource initiative" means an initiative that is provided by a community-based, faith-based, or non-profit organization that specializes in advancing equitable and culturally congruent maternal and infant health outcomes and promoting the health and wellness of families through advocacy, education, support services, and community-based solutions, to historically underserved or marginalized communities, focused on improving maternity care and birthing outcomes for expectant mothers and infants.
"Culturally congruent care" means care provided by a health care provider or clinician who shares the same ethnicity and similar life experiences as a patient to reduce the likelihood of negative health outcomes and to ensure that interactions with the patient are reflective of the provider's or clinician's respect and understanding of the patient's culture, beliefs, values, and morals.
"Doula" means a trained professional who provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother before, during, and shortly after childbirth, to help the mother achieve the healthiest, most satisfying birthing experience possible.
"Low-income family" means a family with an annual household income at or below the federal poverty level based on family size.
"Midwife" means a certified midwife, certified professional midwife, or certified nurse midwife.
"Program" means the "Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program" established pursuant to section 4 of this act.
4. a. There is established the Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program in the New Jersey Maternal Health Innovation Authority. The goal of the program shall be to address systemic barriers to quality health care, combat disparities in the provision of maternal and infant health care, and promote reproductive justice by empowering those most impacted by racial and health care inequities.
b. The authority shall contract with a minimum of five community-led birthing and wellness resource initiatives located as follows: one in Mercer County, one in Union County, one in Atlantic County, and two in Essex County. The authority shall contract with other community-led birthing and wellness resource initiatives in additional counties where there is a demonstrated need to address systemic barriers to quality health care, combat disparities in the provision of maternal and infant health care, and promote reproductive justice.
5. a. A community-led birth and wellness resource initiative contracted with the authority pursuant to subsection b. of section 4 of this act shall:
(1) be located in, and predominantly serve the low-income families of, a health professional shortage area as designated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or a medically underserved area as determined by the department, or any other underserved community with a demonstrated need for such initiative;
(2) provide, at a minimum, the following services to a low-income family residing in the county where the initiative is located:
(a) prenatal and postpartum visits, including home visitation, mental health care, and midwifery and doula care services;
(b) lactation counseling, lactation consultation, and nutrition services;
(c) parenting classes and other parenting support services;
(d) infant, pediatric, and primary health care services; and
(e) referrals to housing, legal, financial, and other social support services; and
(3) provide a place for the establishment of midwifery, doula, or other perinatal treatment professional training programs.
b. In order to meet the goals of the program and to guarantee the services and care provided by each community-led birth and wellness resource initiative reflect the community where it is located, each initiative shall adopt and implement guidelines of operation that shall, at a minimum, provide for:
(1) hiring practices that ensure that more than 50 percent of the:
(a) physicians, midwives, doulas, and other health care professionals employed by the initiative identify as Black or African-American; and
(b) contractors engaged in the construction of a new, or the renewal, renovation, expansion, improvement, or reconstruction of an existing, building housing the initiative identify as Black or African-American;
(2) the provision of culturally congruent care, services, and supports to low-income families residing in the county where the initiative is located;
(3) the creation of an education and outreach program to train midwives and doulas in providing culturally congruent midwifery and doula care services;
(4) policies and procedures that encourages the retention of the physicians, midwives, doulas, and other health care professionals hired by the initiative by providing wages, salaries, and benefits commiserate to the market value of their positions, and any other forms of financial assistance including, but not limited to, housing assistance, tax incentives, and education and training; and
(5) procedures to apply for and accept any grant of money from the State or federal government or other sources, which may be available to community-led birth and wellness resource initiatives which shall be deposited in the "Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program Fund" established pursuant to section 6 of this act.
6. a. There is established in the authority a fund to be known as the "Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program Fund." This fund shall be the repository for monies appropriated to support the program established pursuant to subsection a. of section 4 of this act.
b. The monies deposited in the Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program Fund shall be distributed by the authority to the community-led birthing justice and equity initiatives contracted with authority pursuant to subsection b. of section 4 of this act to:
(1) establish or construct new, or renew, renovate, improve, expand, or reconstruct existing buildings housing community-led birth and wellness resource initiatives;
(2) hire personnel, fund positions, and provide funding to establish the culturally congruent services provided by the initiatives;
(3) engage in long-term strategic planning; and
(4) fund any other purpose that would enhance the effective and efficient operation of initiatives.
7. The President and Chief Executive Officer of the authority shall annually report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the effectiveness of the Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program, and the report shall include any recommendations for legislative action that the President and the Chief Executive Officer deems appropriate.
8. Pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), the authority shall adopt any rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
9. There is appropriated $12,000,000 from the General Fund to the authority for the purpose of contracting with community-led birthing justice and equity initiatives to effectuate the purposes of section 6 of this act, of which $5,000,000 shall be allocated to faith-based organizations with expertise in addressing disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity rates.
10. This act shall take
effect on the first day of the third month next following enactment, except
that the authority may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance
as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program in the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (authority). The goal of the program is to address systemic barriers to quality health care, combat disparities in the provision of maternal and infant health care, and promote reproductive justice by empowering those most impacted by racial and health care inequities.
The authority is to contract with a minimum of five community-led birthing and wellness resource initiatives located in Mercer, Union, Atlantic, and Essex counties. The authority is to contract with other initiatives in additional counties as necessary.
A community-led birth and wellness resource initiative contracted with the authority pursuant to the bill is to: be located in, and predominantly serve the low-income families of, a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or any other underserved community with a demonstrated need for such initiative; and provide services and adopt guidelines for operations as enumerated in the bill.
The bill establishes the "Community-led Birth and Wellness Resource Initiative Program Fund" in the authority to be the repository for the $12,000,000 appropriated to the program, of which $5,000,000 is to be allocated to faith-based organizations with expertise in disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity rates.
The monies allocated to the fund are to be distributed to community-led birth and wellness resource initiatives to: (1) establish or construct new, or renew, renovate, improve, expand, or reconstruct existing community-led birth and wellness resource initiatives; (2) hire personnel, fund positions, and provide for funding to establish the culturally congruent services; (3) engage in long-term strategic planning; and (4) fund any other purpose enhancing the effective and efficient operation of the initiatives.
