New Jersey S 1066: Establishes Prescription Drug Affordability Board; appropriates $1 million. *

Bill Text

S1066 

SENATE, No. 1066 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator NILSA I. CRUZ-PEREZ

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Lagana

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Commissioner of Health to establish 
maternity care public awareness campaign.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act regarding maternity care 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 Commissioner of 
Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services and the 
Commissioner of Children and Families, shall establish a maternity care public 
awareness campaign to improve overall maternal and child health while ensuring 
equitable care among women and children of all races and ethnicities.� The 
Commissioner of Health shall coordinate with any other entity that is engaged 
in a related maternity care public awareness campaign in order to not duplicate 
any efforts made in implementing the provisions of this act. �The campaign 
shall disseminate information about maternal health and encourage the public to 
access a user-friendly website, which shall be developed and maintained by the 
Department of Health.� The campaign shall, at a minimum:

���� a.���� disseminate aggregated 
data to the public in an easily-understood language and format regarding 
hospital rates of cesarean births, exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, and 
vaginal birth after cesarean delivery, among other information, to assist women 
in the selection of maternity care providers and birthing locations;

���� b.��� promote active 
engagement in maternity care, patient rights, making informed choices, and the 
use of shared decision-making models and decision-making aids; 

���� c.���� disseminate information 
to healthcare professionals regarding how to document the patient�s preferences 
regarding the care provided during labor and delivery, also known as the 
patient�s birth plan, in the patient�s health records;

���� d.��� disseminate information 
to the public on avoiding interventions that may be unneeded or that may 
increase pregnancy-related risks, such as primary cesarean sections and 
non-medically indicated early inductions; the advantages of physiologic labor 
and the activities and practices that will facilitate a physiologic labor 
process; and the benefits of using high-value forms of care such as midwives, 
birthing centers, doulas, and lactation support;

���� e.���� promote the maternal 
and child health programs and services that are available in the State, and 
encourage members of the public to contact their county central intake agency 
to obtain information concerning, and referrals to, appropriate programs and 
services; 

���� f.���� provide information on 
the department�s Internet website regarding parents� rights to family leave 
pursuant to P.L.2008, c.17 (C.43:21-39 et al.), the "Family Leave 
Act," P.L.1989, c.261 (C.34:11B-1 et seq.), and the federal �Family and 
Medical Leave Act of 1993,� Pub.L. 103-3 (29 U.S.C. s.2601 et seq.);

���� g.��� provide the public with information 
about breastfeeding and pregnancy discrimination rights pursuant to P.L.2013, 
c.220 (C.10:5-3.1 et al.); and

���� h.��� provide the public with 
information about the eligibility requirements and the application process to 
enroll in coverage for pregnant women under the State Medicaid program.

���� 2.��� The Department of Health 
shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative 
Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the 
provisions of section 1 of this act.� 

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the 
Commissioner of Health to establish a maternal health public awareness campaign 
to improve overall maternal and child health while ensuring equitable care 
among women and children of all races and ethnicities.� The campaign is to disseminate 
information about maternal health and encourage the public to access a 
user-friendly website to be established and maintained by the Department of 
Health (department).

���� Under the bill, the campaign 
will, at a minimum: (1) disseminate aggregated data to the public� concerning 
hospital rates of: cesarean births, exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, and 
vaginal birth after cesarean delivery, among other information, to assist women 
in the selection of maternity care providers and birthing locations; (2) 
promote active engagement in maternity care, patient rights, making informed 
choices, and the use of shared decision-making models and decision-making aids; 
(3) disseminate information to healthcare professionals regarding how to 
document the patient� s preferences regarding care provided during labor and 
delivery, othe