Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DHS to establish public awareness campaign on doulas.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning doulas and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, shall establish a public awareness campaign to provide information to the general public about doulas. The campaign shall include information on, at a minimum:
(1) the role of doulas in supporting individuals before, during, and after pregnancy;
(2) the services offered by doulas and the evidenced-based benefits of those services; and
(3) any free or low-cost resources in the State related to doula services or increasing access to doula services.
b. Notwithstanding any provisions of P.L.2023, c.263 to the contrary, the commissioner shall, at a minimum:
(1) provide for the development of printed and electronic educational materials about doulas in the top ten languages most commonly spoken in the State; and
(2) make those materials available for download on the Department of Human Services Internet website and disseminate those materials for distribution to the public through a variety of entities, including, but not limited to: local health agencies and clinics; local health care providers and facilities; reproductive health service providers, including, but not limited to, Planned Parenthood health clinics; local WIC agencies and clinic offices; county human services offices, pharmacies, and other community-based outreach programs and organizations in the State.
c. As used in this section:
"Reproductive health service provider" means a hospital, clinic, physician's office, or other facility that provides reproductive health services, including an employee, a volunteer, or a contractor of the provider.
"Reproductive health services" means medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services relating to the human reproductive system, including services relating to pregnancy or the termination of a pregnancy.
"WIC" means the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, established pursuant to the federal "Child Nutrition Act of 1966," Pub.L.89-642 (42 U.S.C. s.1771 et seq.).
2. This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Human Services, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health, to establish a public awareness campaign to provide information to the general public about doulas.
At a minimum, the campaign will include information on: the role of doulas in supporting individuals before, during, and after pregnancy; the services offered by doulas and the evidenced-based benefits of those services; and any free or low-cost resources in the State related to doula services or increasing access to doula services.
The commissioner will, at a minimum: (1) provide for the development of printed and electronic educational materials about doulas in the top ten languages most commonly spoken in the State; and (2) make those materials available for download on the Department of Human Services Internet website and disseminate those materials for distribution to the public through a variety of entities, including, but not limited to: local health agencies and clinics; local health care providers and facilities; reproductive health service providers, including, but not limited to, Planned Parenthood health clinics; local WIC agencies and clinic offices; county human services offices, pharmacies, and other community-based outreach programs and organizations in the State.