Bill > A924

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Department of Health (DOH) to develop a formal, regionalized classification system that defines the roles of all State maternity care facilities based on the level of maternity care provided to the patients of such facilities, to ensure the provision of care to pregnant, antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum patients in the State along an integrated continuum of care, and to reduce the number of adverse maternity care experiences and outcomes and address obstetric inequities. The system, based on the specific needs and priorities of pregnant, antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum patients, would designate maternity care facilities as accredited birthing centers, Level I basic, Level II specialty, Level III subspecialty, or Level IV regional perinatal health care centers in accordance with criteria outlined in the bill. In developing the classification system, the DOH is to: (1) introduce uniform designations for levels of maternity care complimentary to, but distinct from, the levels of neonatal care; (2) designate a prospective service region for a regional perinatal health care center; (3) establish uniform criteria for the designation of maternity care facilities integrated with emergency response systems; (4) require that accredited birthing centers, Level I basic, Level II specialty, Level III subspecialty maternity care hospitals, and Level IV regional perinatal care centers maintain patient and newborn transfer criteria, transfer agreements, and admission protocols governing transfers between such birthing centers and hospitals; (5) require accredited birthing centers, Level I basic, Level II specialty, Level III subspecialty, and Level IV regional perinatal health care centers to participate in the Maternal Data Center; (6) establish an multi-disciplinary team to study actions that the DOH may take to adopt the levels of maternity care at all maternity care facilities; (7) establish a public awareness campaign to inform the public about the classification system; and (8) develop policies and procedures allowing patients receiving services at accredited birthing centers, Level I basic, Level II specialty, Level III subspecialty, and Level IV regional perinatal health care centers to pursue legal recourse against such birthing centers and hospitals based on acts of obstetric violence or obstetric racism. The DOH is to designate as many maternity care facilities as accredited birthing centers, Level I basic, Level II specialty, Level III subspecialty, and Level IV regional perinatal health care centers as apply for designation and demonstrate the ability to provide the level of care associated with the designation, and may revoke or suspend such designation if the requirements of the bill are not met. The DOH is also required to prepare, maintain, make available on its website, and update as necessary, a list of accredited birthing centers, Level I basic, Level II specialty, Level III subspecialty, and Level IV regional perinatal health care centers.

Committee Categories

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document