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A4328
ASSEMBLY, No. 4328
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
���� Requires midwives and physicians to provide pregnant
women information on birthing options prior to delivery.�
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning pregnancy and supplementing Title 26 of the
Revised Statutes.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
����� 1.�� a.�
As used in this section:
����� "Certified
nurse midwife" means a midwife licensed by the State Board of Medical
Examiners as a certified nurse midwife pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1991,
c.97 (C.45:10-17 et al.).
����� "Physician"
means an individual licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this State.
����� b.�� A
certified nurse midwife or physician who practices obstetrics and provides
prenatal maternity care to a pregnant patient shall provide each pregnant
patient
in the midwife�s or physician�s care
, in
writing in English and in at least the seven most common non-English languages
spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in this State based on
the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey data, during the
initial consultation, and prior to the onset of labor, with evidence-based
information on all birthing options that are available to the patient. �The
information provided shall include, but not be limited to, information on
planned hospital induced births, epidural births, hospital water births, home
water births, hospital non-Medicaid births, home non-Medicaid births, scheduled
births and scheduled C-sections, emergency C-sections, health risks associated
with each birthing option, health risks to the mother and infant associated
with an epidural, Pitocin, and other medications, and a list of birthing
options that may be covered by a patient�s health insurance carrier.
����� c.�� The
Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, in consultation with
certified nurse midwives and physicians in the State, shall develop the
evidence-based information on all birthing options to be provided to a pregnant
patient in accordance with subsection b. of this section.� The Commissioner of
Health shall take reasonable steps to ensure that information is provided in a
language that the pregnant patient can understand.
����� 2.�� The Commissioner of
Health shall promulgate rules and regulations, in accordance with the
�Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are
necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect 180 days after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
����� This bill requires certified nurse midwives and
physicians to provide a pregnant patient with information on birthing options.�
����� Under the bill, a certified nurse midwife or
physician who practices obstetrics and provides prenatal maternity care is
required to provide to each pregnant patient in the midwife�s or physician�s
care, in writing in English and in at least the seven most common non-English
languages spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency in this State,
with evidence-based information on all birthing options that are available to
the patient.� The information provided is required to include, but not be limited
to, information on: planned hospital induced births, epidural births, hospital
water births, home water births, hospital non-Medicaid births, home
non-Medicaid births, scheduled births and scheduled C-sections, emergency
C-sections, health risks associated with each birthing option, health risks to
the mother and infant associated with an epidural, Pitocin, and other
medications, and a list of birthing options that may be covered by a patient�s
health insurance carrier.� This information is to be provided to the patient
during the initial consultation, and prior to the onset of labor.�
����� The bill requires the Commissioner of Health, in
consultation with certified nurse midwives and physicians in the State, to
develop the evidence-based information to be provided.� The commissioner is
required to take reasonable steps to ensure that the information is provided in
a language that the pregnant person can understand.
����� The bill also requires the Commissioner of Health to
promulgate rules and regulations that are necessary to effectuate the
provisions of the bill.