Bill Text: NJ S72 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Directs DOH to develop standardized perinatal health curriculum for community health workers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S72 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S72-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Directs DOH to develop standardized perinatal health curriculum for community health workers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning perinatal health training of community health workers 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 Department of Health shall develop a standardized perinatal health curriculum for training community health workers in the provision of education and support services to women of childbearing age. The curriculum shall include basic educational information and materials concerning factors and behaviors that affect maternal and infant health and childbirth, including, but not limited to: alcohol and substance use during pregnancy; maternal medical conditions that affect pregnancy; premature births and low birthweight babies; cesarean sections and labor induction; labor and delivery; infant mortality; breastfeeding; shaken baby syndrome; perinatal mood disorders ; and the signs, symptoms, and risk factors most commonly associated with maternal and infant mortality and mobidity. The curriculum shall further include information on: shared decision making; informed consent; and resources available in the State for women, including, but not limited to, the resources and referrals available through the county central intake agencies.
The department may, in developing the curriculum, utilize information or resources developed by another state, a professional association with expertise in maternal and infant health, or an agency of the federal government.
The department shall promote and share the curriculum as best practices for community doulas , nurse home visitors, and childbirth educators in the State, in order to increase access by women to current information concerning perinatal health.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Department of Health to develop a standardized curriculum concerning perinatal health for the training of community health workers who provide education and support services to women of childbearing age. The curriculum is to include basic educational information and materials concerning factors and behaviors that affect maternal and infant health and childbirth, including, but not limited to: alcohol and substance use during pregnancy; maternal medical conditions that affect pregnancy; premature births and low birthweight babies; cesarean sections and labor induction; labor and delivery; infant mortality; breastfeeding; shaken baby syndrome; perinatal mood disorders; and the signs, symptoms, and risk factors most commonly associated with maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. The curriculum is to further include information on: shared decision making; informed consent; and resources available in the State for women, including, but not limited to, resources and referrals available through the county central intake agencies.
The bill provides that the department may, in developing the curriculum, utilize information or resources developed by another state, a professional association with expertise in maternal and infant health, or an agency of the federal government.
The bill provides that the department is to promote and share the curriculum as best practices for community doulas, nurse home visitors, and childbirth educators in the State.
