ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[Second Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1973

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MARCH 20, 2025

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1973 (2R).

      As amended and reported, this bill directs the Commissioner of Health to require every licensed physician or health care practitioner in the State providing perinatal care to a pregnant person or a person who has given birth, to refer the person for an endometriosis evaluation, if the person has been diagnosed with preeclampsia and later shows symptoms of endometriosis.  

      The bill requires the Board of Medical Examiners to require every obstetric care provider who is the primary caregiver for a pregnant person or a person who seeks perinatal care within six weeks of giving birth to:  (1) in accordance with nationally recognized guidelines, provide the person with information developed by the New Jersey Department of Health on endometriosis; (2) inform the person of the benefits of being evaluated for endometriosis if the person has been diagnosed with preeclampsia and subsequently shows symptoms of endometriosis; and (3) evaluate the person for endometriosis or refer the person to a qualified obstetric care provider for evaluation unless the person provides a written refusal to be evaluated.

      The commissioner will be required to develop, in consultation with the Endometriosis Foundation of America and any other community-based organization as may be designated by the commissioner, endometriosis educational information for pregnant individuals and individuals who have recently given birth, have been diagnosed with preeclampsia, and subsequently show symptoms of endometriosis.  The educational information will include information on endometriosis and the potential warning signs and symptoms of endometriosis.  

      Upon receipt of a referral for an endometriosis evaluation pursuant to the bill, the obstetric care provider would discuss the results with the person and, if the person has a positive diagnosis of endometriosis, develop a treatment plan to minimize the person’s risk from endometriosis.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments replace the terms “screen,” “screening,” and “screened” with the terms “evaluate,” “evaluation” or “diagnosis,” and “evaluated,” respectively.

      The committee amendments make various technical corrections involving grammar and punctuation.

      The committee amendments update the title and synopsis to reflect the changes made by committee amendment.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that State costs will increase by an indeterminate amount for the Department of Health to develop and implement the endometriosis public education program for pregnant and postpartum persons who have been diagnosed with preeclampsia and subsequently show symptoms of endometriosis. 

      Although current research shows that persons diagnosed with endometriosis have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy than do persons who are not diagnosed with endometriosis, there are no publicly available data on the percentage of persons with an endometriosis diagnosis who later develop preeclampsia, or vice versa.  As such, the OLS cannot anticipate the number of pregnant and postpartum persons who would ultimately be screened subsequent to the bill.

      Expenditures incurred by the State Board of Medical Examiners in the Division of Consumer Affairs will increase by an indeterminate amount to ensure that licensed obstetric care practitioners comply with the educational and screening requirements established under the bill.