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A2026 • 2026

Requires DOC to provide prenatal and post-partum education and services for certain inmates.

Requires DOC to provide prenatal and post-partum education and services for certain inmates.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Haider, Shama A.
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires DOC to provide prenatal and post-partum education and services for certain inmates.

Requires DOC to provide prenatal and post-partum education and services for certain inmates.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires DOC to provide prenatal and post-partum education and services for certain inmates.
  • Topic: Public Safety and Preparedness Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires DOC to provide prenatal and post-partum education and services for certain inmates.
Topic:
Public Safety and Preparedness
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A2026

ASSEMBLY, No. 2026

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires DOC to provide prenatal and post-partum
education and services for certain inmates.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning education and services for certain
pregnant inmates and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.� Every female inmate
60 years of age and under shall be tested for pregnancy upon entering a State
correctional facility. �Upon confirmation of pregnancy, the Commissioner of
Corrections shall provide the appropriate prenatal and post-partum services for
each pregnant inmate, including but not limited to the following:

���� (1)� prenatal education;

���� (2)� prenatal medical
evaluation and care;

���� (3)� nutritional counseling
and supplements as prescribed by a physician;

���� (4)� counseling regarding
family planning, birth control, test results, termination of pregnancy, child
placement services, and religious counseling, if desired by the inmate; and

���� (5)� appropriate post-partum
education and care.

���� b.��� A pregnant inmate
electing to carry the pregnancy to term shall be provided ongoing prenatal care
and support including obstetrical services, suitable maternity clothes,
reasonable housing assignments, and appropriate exercise and reduced work
schedules, as deemed medically advisable by the treating physician.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Commissioner of Corrections to provide appropriate prenatal and post-partum
services to expectant mothers.

���� Nationwide women represent a
small minority of the correction population; however, at any given time,
approximately six to 10 percent of incarcerated women are pregnant (American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2011).� Many women first learn of
their pregnancy upon entry to a correctional facility.� At the time of their
arrest and incarceration, many of these expectant mothers lack prenatal care
and need considerable support to improve the clinical outcomes of their
pregnancy.� Incarcerated women tend to have complicated and high-risk
pregnancies due to increased rates of substance use disorders and psychological
distress.

���� This bill provides that
incarcerated expectant mothers are required to receive prenatal education;
prenatal medical evaluation and care; nutritional counseling and supplements; counseling
regarding family planning, birth control, test results, termination of
pregnancy, child placement services, and religious counseling, if desired; and
post-partum education and care.