A5309 3R

An Act concerning menopause and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. As used in this section:

“Menopause” means the ¹[natural]¹ biological process during which a woman’s hormone levels change, the woman permanently stops having menstrual periods, and is diagnosed after 12 months without a menstrual period. ²“Menopause” shall include the period known as “perimenopause,” during which the body makes the transition into menopause.²

b. The State Board of Medical Examiners shall:

(1) require that the number of credits of continuing medical education required of each person licensed as a physician, as a condition of biennial registration pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.236 (C.45:9-6.1), include ¹[one] up to three¹ optional ¹[credit] credits¹ of educational programs or topics concerning menopause ²[, which educational programs and topics shall meet the requirements for a training program set forth in subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2021, c.79 (C.26:2H-12.108)]². The continuing medical education requirement in this subsection shall be subject to the provisions of section 10 of P.L.2001, c.307 (C.45:9-7.1); ³[and]³

(2) ³track participation consistent with paragraph (1) of this subsection; and

(3)³ adopt rules and regulations if necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

³c. The optional credits of educational programs and topics concerning menopause established in subsection b. of this section may include information on the physiological and psychological aspects of menopause; available treatments, including hormone therapy and alternative options; health risks associated with menopause, such as cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, and mental health; best practices for screening, diagnosis, and management of menopause-related conditions; and patient communication strategies for discussing menopause and women’s health issues.

d. The optional credits under this section shall be made available through a variety of formats to ensure accessibility for all physicians, including online courses, webinars, workshops, and in-person seminars. These options shall permit physicians to complete the educational programs or topics concerning menopause at their own pace and according to their schedules.

e. Physicians who choose to complete the menopause and women’s health education programs shall receive continuing medical education credits toward their required 100 continuing medical education credits for license renewal. These credits shall count toward the total continuing medical education hours required, which includes a focus on patient safety, medical ethics, and other essential medical topics.

f. Nothing in this section shall prevent a physician from completing additional continuing education credits of educational programs or topics concerning menopause for satisfaction of their continuing education requirements.³

³[2. a. The optional ¹[credit] credits¹ of educational programs and topics concerning menopause established in section ¹[1.] 1¹ of this act shall include training modules ², which shall be developed by the Department of Health,² on the physiological and psychological aspects of menopause; available treatments, including hormone therapy and alternative options; health risks associated with menopause, such as cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, and mental health; best practices for screening, diagnosis, and management of menopause-related conditions; and patient communication strategies for discussing menopause and women’s health issues.

b. Training for the optional ¹[credit] credits¹ under this section shall be available through a variety of formats to ensure accessibility for all physicians, including online courses, webinars, workshops, and in-person seminars. These options shall permit physicians to complete the training at their own pace and according to their schedules.

c. Physicians who choose to complete the menopause and women’s health education modules shall receive continuing medical education credits toward their required 100 continuing medical education credits for license renewal. These credits shall count toward the total continuing medical education hours required, which includes a focus on patient safety, medical ethics, and other essential medical topics.

d. In addition to receiving continuing medical education credits, physicians who complete these modules shall be eligible ²[for] to receive from the Department of Health if there are available funds²: financial assistance or subsidies to offset the cost of the training programs; public recognition or certification for completing menopause and women’s health education modules; specialized CME tracks that include menopause and women’s health education for physicians practicing in relevant specialties like OB-GYN and internal medicine, as determined by the Department of Health.

e. The Department of Health shall actively promote awareness of the available menopause and women’s health education programs through various medical associations, healthcare networks, and continuing education platforms.

f. The Department of Health shall partner with medical schools ²[,] and nursing schools to integrate menopause education into the curricula, as well as² hospitals²[,]² and professional organizations to integrate menopause and women’s health education into their continuing medical education offerings, ensuring that the training remains relevant and up-to-date with the latest research and best practices.

g. The Commissioner of Health shall establish an advisory committee to monitor the effectiveness of the training programs and assess participation ²and task the committee with making recommendations for public health measures and areas of further research concerning menopause².]³

³[²3.] 2.³ a. As used in this section:

“Menopause” means the biological process during which a woman’s hormone levels change, the woman permanently stops having menstrual periods, and is diagnosed after 12 months without a menstrual period. “Menopause” shall include the period known as “perimenopause,” during which the body makes the transition into menopause.

b. The New Jersey Board of Nursing shall:

(1) require that the number of credits of continuing education required for ³[advanced practice]³ nurses, as a condition of license renewal, include up to three optional credits of educational programs or topics concerning menopause; ³[and]³

(2) ³track participation consistent with paragraph (1) of this subsection; and

(3)³ adopt rules and regulations if necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).

c. The optional credits of educational programs and topics concerning menopause established in this section ³[shall] may³ include ³[training modules, which shall be developed by the Department of Health,] information³ on the physiological and psychological aspects of menopause; available treatments, including hormone therapy and alternative options; health risks associated with menopause, such as cardiovascular health, osteoporosis, and mental health; best practices for screening, diagnosis, and management of menopause-related conditions; and patient communication strategies for discussing menopause and women’s health issues.

d. ³[Training for the] The³ optional credits under this section shall be ³made³ available through a variety of formats to ensure accessibility for all ³[advanced practice]³ nurses, including online courses, webinars, workshops, and in-person seminars. These options shall permit ³[advanced practice]³ nurses to complete the ³[training] educational programs or topics concerning menopause³ at their own pace and according to their schedules.

e. ³[Advanced practice nurses] Nurses³ who choose to complete the menopause and women’s health education ³[modules] programs³ shall receive continuing education credits toward their required continuing education credits for license renewal. These credits shall count toward the total continuing education hours required.

f. ³[In addition to receiving continuing education credits, advanced practice nurses who complete these modules shall be eligible to receive from the Department of Health if there are available funds: financial assistance or subsidies to offset the cost of the training programs; public recognition or certification for completing menopause and women’s health education modules; specialized continuing education tracks that include menopause and women’s health education for advanced practice nurses practicing in relevant specialties, as determined by the Department of Health.²] Nothing in this section shall prevent a nurse from completing additional continuing education credits of educational programs or topics concerning menopause for satisfaction of their continuing education requirements.³

³3. The Division of Consumer Affairs shall promote awareness of this act, P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) by providing notice on its website.³

¹[3.] 4.¹ This act shall take effect 180 days following enactment.