Bill > S1065

This bill requires the Department of Health to create new standards for maternity care in general hospitals that are licensed to provide these services, building upon existing laws that regulate healthcare facilities. These standards will focus on improving the safety of patients during pregnancy (prenatal), childbirth, and after birth (postpartum), with the aim of reducing negative outcomes and addressing any existing inequalities in maternity care. The bill specifically mandates that these standards incorporate best practices identified by initiatives like the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health, which uses national data to guide maternal safety and quality improvements. The Department of Health will continuously monitor these identified priorities and update the hospital standards accordingly, making compliance with these updated standards a requirement for maintaining a hospital's license to provide maternity care. The bill also directs the Department of Health to establish these standards through formal rulemaking processes and specifies that the act will become effective one year after it is signed into law.

Health and Social Services

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S1065