Bill Text: NJ A4659 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires four-year public institution of higher education to develop and implement reproductive health services plan; requires county college to develop referral network for reproductive health care services.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-25 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [A4659 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4659-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires four-year public institution of higher education to develop and implement reproductive health services plan; requires county college to develop referral network for reproductive health care services.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning student reproductive health at public institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 61D of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares:
a. Student access to high-quality reproductive health care services is vital to ensuring student health.
b. For students on campuses that do not have access to reproductive health care, it is imperative that these students are directed to trusted health care providers in the local community.
c. Following the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, ensuring access to emergency contraceptives and referrals to community providers is imperative.
d. Thirty-nine institutions of higher education across the country have installed vending machines for emergency contraceptives on the campus of the institution.
e. Students at institutions of higher education face unique barriers to accessing emergency contraceptives. A study conducted by medical students in Philadelphia found that one-third of the area's pharmacies did not stock emergency contraceptives. Similarly, some student health centers do not stock emergency contraceptives at all. Additionally, traveling off-campus to obtain emergency contraceptives can be difficult for students without cars on campus.
f. Students at four-year public institutions of higher education in the State should have access to reproductive health care services.
2. As used in this act:
"Abortion" means any medical treatment intended to induce the termination of pregnancy except for the purpose of producing a live birth. Abortion care includes, but is not limited to, medication abortion and early aspiration abortion.
"Aspiration abortion" means a procedure that terminates a pregnancy utilizing manual or electric suction to empty the uterus.
"Emergency contraception" means one or more prescription drugs to prevent pregnancy, used separately or in combination, administered to or self-administered by a patient within a medically recommended time after sexual intercourse, dispensed for that purpose in accordance with professional standards of practice and determined to be safe by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
"Health care facility" means a health care facility as defined in section 2 of P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-2).
"Health care professional" means a person who is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to provide health care services pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.
"Medication abortion" means the use, prescription, order, dispensing, administration, or any combination thereof as applicable, of a medication or a combination of medications to induce termination of pregnancy.
"Pregnancy" means the period of the human reproductive process beginning with the implantation of a fertilized egg.
"Reproductive health care services" means and includes medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services relating to the human reproductive system, including, but not limited to, services relating to pregnancy, contraception, or the termination of a pregnancy.
"Student health center" means a clinic providing primary health care services to students that is located on the campus of a four-year public institution of higher education.
3. a. A four-year public institution of higher education, in consultation with student representatives selected by the president of the institution, shall develop and implement a reproductive health services plan that addresses student access to reproductive health care services.
b. The plan shall, in accordance with all applicable State and federal laws, include:
(1) making available on campus services provided by health care professionals, or of referrals to off-campus services provided by health care professionals or health care facilities, for:
(a) obtaining federal Food and Drug Administration-approved contraception methods, including emergency contraception and pharmacist authorized, self-administered hormonal contraceptives pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2023, c.2 (C.45:14-67.9);
(b) preventing, testing for, and treating sexually transmitted infections, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV);
(c ) prenatal care; and
(d) abortion;
(2) methods to provide students with 24-hour access to purchase over-the-counter contraception through the student health center, as applicable, on-campus retail establishments, or vending machines;
(3) providing evidence-based reproductive health education services through the student health center, as applicable, peer educators, or other health education programs; and
(4) developing a referral network of verified health care professionals and pharmacies that provide off-campus reproductive health care services in the county in which the four-year institution of higher education is located.
c. Each four-year institution of higher education shall annually update the reproductive health services plan.
4. A county college, in consultation with student representatives selected by the president of the institution, shall develop a referral network of verified health care professionals, health care facilities, and pharmacies that provide off-campus reproductive health care services in the county in which the county college is located.
5. The Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and the Commissioner of Human Services, shall develop guidelines to assist:
a. four-year public institutions of higher education in developing and implementing a reproductive health services plan; and
b. county colleges in developing the referral network in accordance with section 3 of this act.
6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to require a public institution of higher education to be a direct provider of reproductive health care services, including abortion.
7. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires four-year public institutions of higher education to develop and implement a reproductive health services plan.
Pursuant to the bill, the plan is required to include: making available on-campus services provided by health care professionals, or referrals to off-campus services provided by health care professionals or health care facilities, for: obtaining contraception, including non-prescription and prescription emergency contraception and pharmacist authorized, self-administered hormonal contraceptives; services for preventing, testing for, and treating sexually transmitted infections, including HIV; prenatal care; and abortion. The plan is also required to include: methods to provide students with 24-hour access to over-the-counter contraception through the student health center, on-campus retail establishments, or vending machines; the provision of evidence-based reproductive health education services provided by the student health center, peer educators, or other health education programs; and the development of a referral network of verified health care professionals, health care facilities, and pharmacies that provide off-campus health care services located within the county that the four-year institution of higher education is located.
The bill also requires county colleges to develop a referral network of verified health care professionals, health care facilities, and pharmacies that provide off-campus reproductive health care services in the county in which the county college is located in.
Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health and the Commissioner of Human Services, to develop guidelines to assist public institutions of higher education in developing and implementing a reproductive health services plan and county colleges in developing the referral network.
Finally, the bill stipulates that the provisions of the bill are not to be construed to require a public institution of higher education to be a direct provider of reproductive health care services, including abortion.
