Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Requires health care professionals to inform certain pregnant patients that their children and family members should undergo lead screening.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning lead screening of children and amending P.L.2025, c.193.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2025, c.193 (C.26:2-137.9) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. A licensed health care professional, which shall include a licensed physician, licensed physician assistant, certified advanced practice nurse, certified nurse midwife, certified professional midwife, and certified midwife, who provides prenatal maternity care to a pregnant person shall assess the person for possible risk factors for lead exposure and elevated blood lead levels based on the most recent guidelines and recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
b. If the health care professional cannot perform a required lead screening, the health care professional may refer the patient, in writing, to another health care professional who is able to perform the lead screening.
c. If the health care professional receives laboratory test results indicating that the pregnant person has an elevated blood lead level, the health care professional shall notify the patient, in writing, about the test results and shall additionally provide the patient with an explanation, in plain language, of the significance of lead poisoning. The health care professional shall [also take appropriate measures to ensure] inform the patient that any of the patient’s children or other members of the patient’s household who are under the age of six [are, or have been,] should be screened for lead exposure.
d. The health care professional shall not be required to conduct lead screening under [this act] P.L.2025, c.193 (C.26:2-137.3 et seq.) and P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) if the patient objects to the testing in writing or if the health care professional determines that another health care provider has already conducted the lead screening required under [this act] P.L.2025, c.193 (C.26:2-137.3 et seq.) and P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
e. The health care professional shall comply with the blood sample collection requirements specified in section 4 of P.L.1995, c.328 (C.26:2-137.5).
(cf: P.L.2025, c.193, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends N.J.S.A.26:2-137.9 to require a health care professional to inform a pregnant patient, if the patient has an elevated blood lead level, that the patient’s children or other or other members of the patient’s household under the age of six should be screened for lead exposure.
Currently, the law requires a health care professional to take appropriate measures to ensure that any of the pregnant patient’s children or other family members under the age of six are or have been screened for lead exposure.
This bill would require a health care professional to inform the patient, instead of taking appropriate measures to ensure that the patient’s children or other family members under the age of six have are or have been screened lead exposure, that the patient should have such children or family members screened for lead exposure.