Bill > S3370

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Commissioner of Health (commissioner) to establish a maternity public health campaign. Under the bill, the commissioner is to, at a minimum: (1) encourage the public to access a user-friendly website, that is created and maintained by the commissioner and which uses comparative data on maternal outcomes and information to help mothers choose maternal care providers and birthing locations; (2) disseminate aggregated data to the public regarding: rates of Cesarean births, breast feeding, and vaginal birth after cesarean delivery; (3) promote the use of shared decision-making models and decision-making aids; (4) disseminate information to healthcare professionals regarding how to document preferred care in health records; (5) disseminate information to the public on becoming engaged in maternity care, making informed choices, experiencing physiologic processes before and after birth, avoiding interventions, using high-value forms of care such as midwives, birthing centers, doulas, and lactation support, and patient rights; (6) promote the Commissioner's Community Health Workers and Central Intake Programs through the Improving Pregnancy Outcomes Initiative or a successor program; (7) provide information on the department's Internet website regarding parents' rights to family leave in New Jersey and the federal programs for pregnant women; (8) information about breastfeeding and pregnancy discrimination rights pursuant to P.L.2013, c.220; and (9) information about edibility and the application process for the Medically Needy program under the federal Medicaid program for pregnant women.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D)*,  Linda Greenstein (D)*, 

Senate Amendment (33-0) (Cruz-Perez) (on 03/25/2019)