New Jersey A 3887: Establishes requirements concerning provision of postpartum care, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth information and development of personalized postpartum care plans.*

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 9/26/2024)
[First Reprint]
ASSEMBLY, No. 3887
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 27, 2024

Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LISA SWAIN
District 38 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Venezia, Barlas, Assemblywomen Hall, Peterpaul, Katz,
Collazos-Gill, Donlon, Assemblyman Sampson, Assemblywomen Speight,
Lampitt, Ramirez, and Park

SYNOPSIS
Establishes requirements concerning provision of postpartum care,
pregnancy loss, and stillbirth information and development of personalized
postpartum care plans.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Community Development and Women's
Affairs Committee on May 13, 2024, with amendments.

A3887 [1R] SWAIN, REYNOLDS-JACKSON
2

EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.

Matter underlined thus is new matter.
Matter enclosed in superscript numerals has been adopted as follows:
1Assembly ACW committee amendments adopted May 13, 2024.
AN ACT concerning postpartum care
1, pregnancy loss, stillbirth,
1 and 1
supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes. 2
3
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 4
of New Jersey: 5
6
1. The Legislature finds and declares that: 7
a. Pregnancy is a significant health event in the lives of many 8
women that presents unique physical, mental, and medical issues, 9
many of which a woman will not encounter at any other point in her 10
life. 11
b. Women experiencing pregnancy, particularly a first pregnancy, 12
frequently lack information and guidance concerning many of the 13
physical symptoms encountered during and after pregnancy. Because 14
so many aspects of a woman’s body change during pregnancy, it can 15
be difficult to determine when a particular symptom is normal or may 16
be a sign of an adverse complication that requires medical attention, 17
particularly with regard to symptoms occurring during the postpartum 18
period
1and after a pregnancy loss or stillbirth
1. 19
c. Maternal mortality and morbidity rates have increased over the 20
last 20 years both in New Jersey and nationwide, which increased rates 21
have disproportionately affected minority communities. In many 22
cases, the common causes of maternal mortality, including
1[high 23
blood pressure,]
1 excessive bleeding
1[,]
1 and infection, are 24
preventable if diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Moreover, 25
postpartum
1, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth
1 issues that are not 26
typically fatal
1[, such as postpartum depression,]
1 can seriously 27
affect a woman’s quality of life if left untreated. 28
d. Frequently, postpartum issues cannot be detected before the 29
woman is discharged from the hospital. Many symptoms do not 30
manifest until after the woman has returned home, and issues may 31
occur up to one year after birth. It is estimated that between one-third 32
and one-half of pregnancy-associated deaths occur during the 33
postpartum period. All women are susceptible to postpartum 34
complications, not just those identified as “high risk” for 35
complications during pregnancy. 36
e. As many as 40 percent of women never seek out or receive 37
postpartum care, which represents a missed opportunity to screen for 38
postpartum issues and provide necessary medical care. 39
f. Although New Jersey has taken significant steps to improve the 40
provision of maternity care in this State, more needs to be done to 41
ensure that women have the information and resources necessary to 42
enable them to identify and seek treatment for potentially fatal 43
postpartum
1, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth
1 issues. 44

A3887 [1R] SWAIN, REYNOLDS-JACKSON
3

g. Therefore, it is essential that women have the opportunity to 1
develop an individualized postpartum treatment plan in the course of 2
prenatal care and that they be provided with postpartum care
1, 3
pregnancy loss, and stillbirth
1 information prior to discharge, including 4
information about normal and abnormal postpartum symptoms, to 5
enable them to make informed observations about their postpartum
1, 6
pregnancy loss, and stillbirth
1 experiences and seek out medical care 7
when needed. 8
9
2. a. Health care professionals, including physicians, advanced 10
practice nurses, certified nurse midwives,
1certified professional 11
midwives,
1 and
1certified
1 midwives, who provide prenatal maternity 12
care to a
1[woman] patient
1 shall ensure that the
1[woman] patient
1 13
has the opportunity to develop a comprehensive personalized 14
postpartum care plan that is consistent with
1[her] the patient’s
1 15
anticipated postpartum needs and plans.
1[At a minimum, each plan 16
shall include the designation of a medical home where the woman may 17
access care and support during the period between the end of the 18
pregnancy and the comprehensive postpartum visit.] To meet the 19
requirements