A4328

An Act concerning pregnancy and supplementing Title 26 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:

"Certified nurse midwife" means a midwife licensed by the State Board of Medical Examiners as a certified nurse midwife pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1991, c.97 (C.45:10-17 et al.).

"Physician" means an individual licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this State.

b. A certified nurse midwife or physician who practices obstetrics and provides prenatal maternity care to a pregnant patient shall provide each pregnant patient in the midwife’s or physician’s care, 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, with evidence-based information on all birthing options that are available to the patient. The information provided shall include, but not be limited to, information on planned hospital induced births, epidural births, hospital water births, home water births, hospital non-Medicaid births, home non-Medicaid births, scheduled births and scheduled C-sections, 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, and a list of birthing options that may be covered by a patient’s health insurance carrier.

c. The Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, in consultation with certified nurse midwives and physicians in the State, shall develop the evidence-based information on all birthing options to be provided to a pregnant patient in accordance with subsection b. of this section. The Commissioner of Health shall take reasonable steps to ensure that information is provided in a language that the pregnant patient can understand.

2. The Commissioner of Health shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

3. This act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill requires certified nurse midwives and physicians to provide a pregnant patient with information on birthing options.

Under the bill, a certified nurse midwife or physician who practices obstetrics and provides prenatal maternity care is required to provide to each pregnant patient in the midwife’s or physician’s care, 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, with evidence-based information on all birthing options that are available to the patient. The information provided is required to include, but not be limited to, information on: planned hospital induced births, epidural births, hospital water births, home water births, hospital non-Medicaid births, home non-Medicaid births, scheduled births and scheduled C-sections, 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, and a list of birthing options that may be covered by a patient’s health insurance carrier. This information is to be provided to the patient during the initial consultation, and prior to the onset of labor.

The bill requires the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with certified nurse midwives and physicians in the State, to develop the evidence-based information to be provided. The commissioner is required to take reasonable steps to ensure that the information is provided in a language that the pregnant person can understand.

The bill also requires the Commissioner of Health to promulgate rules and regulations that are necessary to effectuate the provisions of the bill.