Bill Text: NJ S1087 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requires midwives and physicians to provide pregnant women information on birthing options prior to delivery.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-10-28 - Received in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Health Committee [S1087 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S1087-Amended.html
SENATE, No. 1087
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE
District 34 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires midwives and physicians to provide pregnant women information on birthing options prior to delivery.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on May 9, 2024, with amendments.
An Act concerning pregnancy and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
"Certified nurse midwife" means a midwife licensed by the State Board of Medical Examiners as a certified nurse midwife pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1991, c.97 (C.45:10-17 et al.).
"Physician" means an individual licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this State.
b. A certified nurse midwife or physician who practices obstetrics shall provide a pregnant patient, in writing in 1[either]1 English 1[, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Creole, French, Korean, Portuguese, or Spanish] and in at least the seven most common non-English languages spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in this State based on the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey data1 , during the initial consultation, and prior to the onset of labor as determined by the Department of Health 1in consultation with midwives and physicians1, with evidence-based information on all birthing options that are available to the patient, including, but not limited to, planned hospital birth induced with Pitocin or an epidural, hospital water births, home water births 1[;] ,1 hospital non-Medicaid births1[;] ,1 home non-Medicaid births1[;] ,1 scheduled births and scheduled C-sections1[;] ,1 emergency C-sections, health risks associated with each birthing option, health risks to the mother and infant associated with an epidural, Pitocin, and other medications, and a list of birthing options that are covered by the patient's health insurance carrier.
c. A certified nurse midwife or physician shall be required to provide on an annual basis, in a language that a pregnant patient understands, evidence-based education on all birthing options available to the patient in accordance with subsection b. of this act.
2. The Commissioner of Health shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.
