ASSEMBLY, No. 4940
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED JANUARY 17, 2019
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman JOANN DOWNEY
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman JAMEL C. HOLLEY
District 20 (Union)
Assemblywoman YVONNE LOPEZ
District 19 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson, Murphy, Lampitt, Vainieri Huttle, Chaparro, Mosquera, Tucker and Assemblyman Greenwald
SYNOPSIS
Directs DOH to develop standardized perinatal health curriculum for community health workers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on March 18, 2019, with amendments.
An Act concerning perinatal health training of community health workers and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Department of Health shall develop a standardized perinatal health curriculum for training community health workers in 1[their] the1 provision of education and support services to women 1of childbearing age1. The curriculum shall include 1[education on] basic educational information and materials concerning1 factors and behaviors that affect maternal and infant health and childbirth, including, but not limited to: alcohol and substance use during pregnancy; maternal medical conditions that affect pregnancy; premature births and low birthweight babies; 1[caesarean] cesarean1 sections and labor induction; labor and delivery; infant mortality; breastfeeding; shaken baby syndrome; 1[and]1 perinatal mood disorders 1; and the signs, symptoms, and risk factors most commonly associated with maternal and infant mortality and mobidity1. The curriculum shall further include information on: shared decision making; informed consent; and resources available in the State for women, including, but not limited to, the 1[State Central Intake Program] resources and referrals available through the county central intake agencies1.
The department may, in developing the curriculum, utilize information or resources developed by another state, a professional association with expertise in maternal and infant health, or an agency of the federal government.
The department shall promote and share the curriculum as best practices for community doulas 1, nurse home visitors,1 and 1[child birth] childbirth1 educators in the State, in order to increase access by women to current information 1[on] concerning1 perinatal health.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.