Legislation to Improve Maternal Health Advances

Bills would enhance support for pregnant individuals and new mothers in New Jersey

The Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee today advanced?several bills designed to enhance maternal healthcare in New Jersey.?From requiring hospitals to screen for endometriosis and offer lactation consulting to assessing pregnant persons for lead exposure, the legislation would address critical gaps in care for pregnant individuals and new mothers.

“By?improving care for pregnant individuals and new mothers, these bills aim to provide support throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period,” said Shavonda Sumter (D-Bergen, Passaic), Chair of the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee. “Each one of these bills alone would positively impact the state of maternal healthcare in New Jersey. Taken together, these bills would benefit moms and new babies long into the future.”

The committee approved the following bills today:

Bill A1799 ( Linda S. Carter / Verlina Reynolds-Jackson /Speight) would require the New Jersey Commissioner of Health to develop a shared decision-making tool for maternity care hospitals and birthing centers. This tool, the use of which would be voluntary, is designed to improve knowledge of maternity care benefits and risks, increase collaboration between patients and their health care providers, and encourage patients to create birthing plans.

The bill would also establish a three-year maternal health care pilot program. Under the program, select hospitals and birthing centers across different regions of the state would collect data on maternal outcomes. The data would then be submitted to the Commissioner, the Governor, and the Legislature alongside recommendations for potential statewide implementation of the shared decision-making tool.

Bill A3008 ( Andrea Katz / Michael Venezia ) would require hospitals and birthing centers to offer new mothers at least one in-person, one-on-one consultation with a lactation consultant before discharge. The bill would also require these entities to offer lactation counseling or consultation with a lactation counselor or lactation consultant conducted remotely through live voice communication, if requested. Lactation support includes breastfeeding education, encouragement, advocacy, and the implementation of a lactation plan for the person who has given birth, as well as guidance for using assistive devices, and the distribution of informational materials.

Bill A1973 (Speight/Haider/ Reginald Atkins ) would require hospitals, birthing centers, federally-qualified health centers, and physicians or heath care practitioners providing perinatal care to a pregnant person or a person who has given birth to screen those individuals for endometriosis if that person has been diagnosed with preeclampsia and later show symptoms of endometriosis. Under the legislation, the Board of Medical Examiners would require obstetric care providers to provide patients, including pregnant individuals and people seeking perinatal care within six weeks of giving birth, with information developed by the New Jersey Department of Health, on endometriosis, the benefits of getting screened, and potential warning signs.

Bill A4848 (Speight/Atkins/ Luanne Peterpaul ) would require health care professionals to assess pregnant persons for potential risk factors of lead exposure and elevated blood lead levels. Under the bill, if a physician or registered professional nurse receives lab test results indicating the pregnant person has an elevated blood lead level, the medical professional must inform the patient of their results, explain the risks of lead poisoning, and ensure any children or household members under the age of six are, or have been, screened for lead exposure.?