SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1087

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 9, 2024

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1087.

      As amended by the committee, this bill requires certified midwives and physicians who practice obstetrics to provide pregnant women information on birthing options prior to delivery. 

      Under the bill, a certified midwife or physician is to provide a pregnant patient, in writing in English and in at least the seven most common non-English languages spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in this State based on the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey data, during the initial consultation, and prior to the onset of labor as determined by the Department of Health in consultation with midwives and physicians, with evidence-based information on all birthing options that are available to the patient, including, but not limited to, planned hospital birth induced with Pitocin or an epidural, hospital water births, home water births, hospital non-Medicaid births, home non-Medicaid births, scheduled births and scheduled C-sections, and emergency C-sections, health risks associated with each birthing option, health risks to the mother and infant associated with an epidural, Pitocin, and other medications.  The certified midwife or physician is also required to provide on an annual basis, in a language that a pregnant patient understands, evidence-based education on all birthing options available to the patient in accordance with the provisions of the bill.

      Under the bill’s provisions, the Commissioner of Health is to promulgate rules and regulations as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this bill.

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2024-2025 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amendments provide that the evidence-based information on all birthing options provided under this bill is to be made available to patients in writing in English and in at least the seven most common non-English languages spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in this State based on the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey data.  As introduced, the bill required this information to be provided in writing in either English, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Creole, French, Korean, Portuguese, or Spanish.

      The committee amendments direct the Department of Health to work in consultation with midwives and physicians in determining when the evidence-based information required under the bill, as introduced, is provided to a pregnant patient prior to the onset of labor.

      The committee amendments make various technical corrections involving punctuation.