New Jersey A 1815: Requires DOH to conduct survey on status of antenatal and prenatal care clinics in New Jersey.

Bill Text

(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 2/22/2024)
ASSEMBLY, No. 1815

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION

Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen Reynolds-Jackson and Speight

SYNOPSIS
Requires DOH to conduct survey on status of antenatal and prenatal care
clinics in New Jersey.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

A1815 CONAWAY, MURPHY
2

AN ACT concerning maternity, antenatal, and prenatal care services 1
and 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. a. The Department of Health shall conduct a survey and 7
analysis of antenatal and prenatal care clinics for the purpose of 8
evaluating the effectiveness of maternity, antenatal, and prenatal care 9
services throughout the State. The survey shall include data collected 10
from all antenatal and prenatal care clinics in the State, including 11
antenatal and prenatal care clinics that have closed or substantially 12
ceased operations of any of its beds, facilities, or services, within a 13
two-year period prior to the effective date of this act. 14
b. The purpose of the survey shall be to: 15
(1) inform policy on the certificate of need requirements as 16
provided by P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) concerning the 17
closure or discontinuance of all, or a component of, a antenatal and 18
prenatal care clinic’s services; 19
(2) assess the availability of antenatal and prenatal care clinics and 20
their ability to provide maternity, antenatal, and prenatal care services; 21
(3) identify where low and moderate income pregnant women 22
receive maternity, antenatal, and prenatal care services; and 23
(4) collect cultural, demographic, and socioeconomic background 24
data about the pregnant women served by antenatal and prenatal care 25
clinics. 26
c. Survey data collected pursuant to this section shall be analyzed 27
to: 28
(1) identify local and Statewide trends and developments in the 29
provision of maternity, antenatal, and prenatal care services and 30
disparities in the care received by pregnant women based on economic 31
factors and the accessibility of antenatal and prenatal care clinics; and 32
(2) develop programs, resources, and strategies to improve access 33
to, and the quality of, maternity, antenatal, and prenatal care services 34
throughout the State. 35
The commissioner may contract with a third party entity to 36
administer the survey, review survey data, and produce the report 37
required pursuant to subsection d. of this section. 38
d. The commissioner shall make survey data collected pursuant to 39
this section available through the Department of Health’s Internet 40
website in a user-friendly format, and shall, no later than 18 months 41
after the effective date of this act, submit a report to the Legislature, 42
pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), concerning 43
the results of the survey and the commissioner’s recommendations for 44
legislation or other appropriate action; provided that nothing in this 45
subsection shall be construed to authorize the disclosure of any 46
personal identifying information or confidential patient information. 47

A1815 CONAWAY, MURPHY
3

e. As used in this section, "antenatal and prenatal care clinic" 1
means an inpatient or ambulatory health care facility licensed by the 2
Department of Health that provides maternity, antenatal, and prenatal 3
care services. 4
5
2. The Commissioner of Health, pursuant to the 6
“Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-7
1 et seq.), shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the 8
provisions of this act. 9
10
3. This act shall take effect immediately. 11
12
13
STATEMENT 14
15
This bill requires the Commissioner of Health to conduct a 16
survey and analysis of antenatal and prenatal care clinics for the 17
purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of maternity, antenatal, and 18
prenatal care services throughout the State. The survey includes 19
data collected from all antenatal and prenatal care clinics in the 20
State, including antenatal and prenatal care clinics that have closed 21
or substantially ceased operation of any of its beds, facilities, or 22
services, within a two-year period prior to the effective date of the 23
bill. As used in the bill, "antenatal and prenatal care clinic" means 24
an inpatient or ambulatory health care facility licensed by the 25
Department of Health that provides maternity, antenatal, and 26
prenatal care services. 27
The purpose of the survey is to: inform policy on the certificate 28
of need requirements as provided by P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-29
1 et seq.) concerning the closure or discontinuance of all, or a 30
component of, antenata