LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 4222

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

DATED: MARCH 20, 2025

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Synopsis:

Requires DHS to establish public awareness campaign on doulas.

Type of Impact:

Annual State expenditure increase.

Agencies Affected:

Department of Human Services, Department of Health.

 

 

Office of Legislative Services Estimate

Fiscal Impact

 

Annual

 

 

State Expenditure Increase

 

At least $100,000

 

 

 

 

 

·         The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) determines that State costs will increase by at least $100,000 annually for the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Health, to develop a public awareness campaign, consisting of print and electronic resources in ten languages, concerning the role of doulas in supporting pregnant and postpartum persons, the benefits of doula services, and the availability of any free or low-cost resources related to doula services.

·         The minimum estimate of $100,000 is comparable to annual State costs between FY 2023 and FY 2025 for the Department of Health’s stillbirth prevention public health campaign, which provides downloadable information in five languages.  The OLS notes the annual costs of the campaign may be higher, reflective of the bill’s requirement that printed and electronic educational materials concerning doula services be provided in the ten languages most commonly spoken in the State. 

 

 

BILL DESCRIPTION

 

      The bill requires the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Health, to establish a public awareness campaign to provide information to the public about doulas.  The campaign will include information on:  the role of doulas in supporting individuals before, during, and after pregnancy; services offered by doulas; the evidence-based benefits of doula services; and free or low-cost resources in the State related to doula services or increasing access to doula services.

      The bill requires the Department of Human Services to develop printed and electronic educational materials about doulas in the ten languages most commonly spoken in the State.  The department will make these materials available on its website and disseminate them for distribution through various entities, including: local health agencies and clinics; local health care providers and facilities; reproductive health service providers; local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) agencies and clinics; county human services offices; pharmacies; and other community-based outreach organizations.

 

 

FISCAL ANALYSIS

 

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 

      None received.

 

OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

 

      The OLS determines that State costs will increase by at least $100,000 annually for the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the Department of Health, to develop a public awareness campaign, consisting of print and electronic resources, concerning the role of doulas, the benefits associated with doula services, and the availability of any free or low-cost resources related to doula services.  The minimum estimate of $100,000 is comparable to annual State costs between FY 2023 and FY 2025 for the Department of Health’s stillbirth prevention public health campaign, which provides downloadable information in five languages.

      The OLS notes the annual costs of the campaign may be higher, reflective of the bill’s requirement that printed and electronic educational materials concerning doula services be provided in the ten languages most commonly spoken in the State.  In preparing the fiscal estimate for P.L.2023, c.263, which requires State agencies to translate vital documents into the seven most common non-English languages spoken in the State, the OLS solicited interpretation and translation rates from one State government contractor who charged $0.10 per word to translate documents into Spanish, and $0.15 per word to translate documents into that vendor’s 12 most requested languages, including Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Arabic, Korean, Russian, and Portuguese.  Languages such as Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Gujarati, or Polish, which are among the most commonly spoken in New Jersey, would cost either $0.16 or $0.17 per word.  Document translations also incurred an additional cost of $39.50 per hour for desktop publishing.    

 

Section:

Human Services

Analyst:

Anne Cappabianca

Senior Fiscal Analyst

Approved:

Thomas Koenig

Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

 

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

 

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).