Bill > A6119

This bill expands New Jersey's list of healthcare services and facilities that are exempt from needing a "certificate of need" (CON), which is a state approval process required for certain healthcare projects to ensure they are necessary and won't duplicate existing services. Specifically, the bill adds exemptions for increases in the level of neonatal care designation at facilities providing inpatient maternity services, with exceptions for regional perinatal centers, and allows for a one-time increase of up to 25% in the number of intermediate or intensive bassinets before December 31, 2026, for facilities with maternity services. It also mandates that the Department of Health revise its CON process for neonatal care unit expansions within 180 days to better meet parental needs and reduce inter-hospital transfers, and within the same timeframe, issue a CON call for "community perinatal center - intensive" designations and the addition of intensive bassinets. The bill clarifies that it does not limit the Department of Health's general licensing authority over bassinets.

Health and Social Services

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A6119