New Jersey S 2994: Concerns termination of child support and other financial support for emancipated child.

Bill Text

S2994 SCS 

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, No. 2994

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� ADOPTED 
JUNE 8, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JOSEPH F. VITALE

District 19 (Middlesex)

Senator� BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE

District 34 (Essex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes �Midwifery Licensing Act.� 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Substitute as adopted by the Senate Commerce 
Committee.

�� 

An Act concerning the oversight of midwives and revising 
various parts of the statutory law and supplementing Title 45 of the Revised 
Statutes.

���� Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� (New section) P.L.��� , 
c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall be known 
and may be cited as the �Midwifery Licensing Act.�

���� 2.��� (New section)� The 
Legislature finds and declares that:

���� a.��� The public interest 
requires the establishment of a modern regulatory framework for the practice of 
midwifery in this State.

���� b.��� Midwives play a vital 
role in improving maternal and infant health.

���� c.��� Research has shown that 
access to midwifery services significantly reduces the rate of maternal and 
infant mortality and morbidity, particularly for vulnerable communities, yet 
many of the statutory provisions governing the practice of midwifery in the State 
date back to the late 19th century.

���� d.��� Midwifery practice 
continues to be regulated by the State Board of Medical Examiners rather than 
by an independent midwifery licensing board.

���� e.��� In light of the 
expansion of midwifery practice and the urgent need to address New Jersey�s 
unusually high levels of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, it is 
necessary to establish a new regulatory framework for the practice of midwifery 
in this State.

���� 3.��� (New section)� As used 
in sections 4 through 12 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the 
Legislature as this bill):

���� �Board� means the State Board 
of Midwifery established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) 
(pending before the Legislature as this bill).

���� �Certified midwife� or �CM� 
means a person who has been certified by the American Midwifery Certification 
Board, or any of its successors, as a certified midwife.

���� �Certified nurse midwife� or 
�CNM� means a registered nurse who has been certified by the American Midwifery 
Certification Board, or any of its successors, as a certified nurse midwife.

���� �Certified professional 
midwife� or �CPM� means a person who has been certified by the North American 
Registry of Midwives, or any of its successors.

���� �Licensee� means any person 
who holds a license from the board 

to practice as a midwife.

���� �Midwife� means a person 
licensed by the board as a certified midwife (CM), certified nurse midwife 
(CNM), or certified professional midwife (CPM).

���� �Midwifery services� means 
care for childbearing persons during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, and 
postpartum, the provision of gynecological care and primary preventive 
reproductive care, and care for newborn infants in the early weeks of life 
consistent with the midwife�s education and certification.� �Midwifery 
services� shall also include, with respect to a certified midwife or a 
certified nurse midwife, primary care for individuals with female reproductive 
systems.

���� 4.��� (New section)� There is 
created in the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public 
Safety the State Board of Midwifery.� The board shall consist of 11 members, 
one of whom shall be a public member appointed by the Governor pursuant to the 
provisions of subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.1971, c.60 (C.45:1-2.2) and one 
of whom shall be a member of the Executive Branch appointed by the Governor in 
fulfillment of the requirement of subsection c. of section 2 of P.L.1971, c.60 
(C.45:1-2.2); one of whom shall be a physician who is certified by either the 
American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Osteopathic Board of 
Obstetrics and Gynecology, or any other certification organization of 
comparable standards, or one of whom shall be a physician who practices family 
medicine; and one of whom shall be a physician who practices pediatrics.� The 
seven remaining members shall be midwives, at least one of whom shall be a 
midwifery educator, at least two shall be certified professional midwives, two 
shall be certified nurse midwives, and two shall be certified midwives.

���� The Governor shall appoint 
each member, other than the State executive department member, for terms of 
three years, except that of the members first appointed, four shall serve for a 
term of three years, four shall serve for terms of two years and three shall 
serve for terms of one year.� Any vacancy in the membership shall be filled for 
the unexpired term in the manner provided by the original appointment.� No 
member of the board shall serve fo