Requires certain providers to perform intimate partner violence screenings and all health care professionals to take certain actions to prevent perpetrators of intimate partner violence from obtaining copies of victim's medical record.

A2007 ACW Statement 5/4/26

ASSEMBLY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND WOMEN'S AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY,
No. 2007

with
committee amendments

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:
�MAY 4,
2026

����� ����� The Assembly Community Development and Women's
Affairs Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill
No. 2007.

���� As amended by the committee, this bill
would require certain health care
providers in the State, including licensed physicians, advanced practice
nurses, physician assistants, certified midwives, certified professional
midwives, and certified nurse midwives, to conduct intimate partner violence
screenings of patients annually, or
at intervals recommended by the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in accordance with
nationally recognized evidence-based guidelines
.� The bill requires providers to document the findings
from each screening in the patient�s medical record, and with the patient�s
consent, include any related documentation. �The bill also requires any health
care professional, who documents findings of intimate partner violence in a
patient�s medical record, to advise the patient that the patient may take
appropriate action to prevent the disclosure of the patient�s medical record to
the perpetrator of the intimate partner violence.��

���� Under
the bill, an intimate partner violence screening performed under the bill is to
be performed in a private area, which may include screening the patient using
telemedicine and telehealth or by the patient self-administering the screening
using a paper-based or electronic screening instrument where only the provider
and the patient are present, unless the patient has consented to have another
person present,.� If, based on a screening performed pursuant to this bill, a
provider finds that a patient is or may be a victim of intimate partner, the patient
shall be provided:

���� 1)��� during
the same visit, with a list of resources and services that are available in the
State and region to assist and protect victims of intimate partner violence;
and

���� 2)��� with
referrals to other appropriate health care professionals, as deemed by the
provider to be necessary to help the patient fully address the physical or
mental consequences of the intimate partner violence.

���� The
Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health, will be
required to make available to providers in the State, and update on at least a
biennial basis a list identifying all of the resources and services that are
available in the State, and in each region of the State, to assist and protect
victims of intimate partner violence.

����� This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the
2026-2027 session pending technical review.� As reported, the bill includes the
changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS
:

����� The committee amended the bill to:

����� (1) Provide that intimate partner violence screenings
be conducted annually or at an interval recommended by the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists;

����� (2) Add language that allows a patient who is
undergoing an intimate partner screening, to provide consent to have an
additional person present; and

����� (3) Make various technical corrections involving
grammar and syntax.