Requires midwives and physicians to provide pregnant women information on birthing options prior to delivery.

S2662 SHH Statement 3/16/26

SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No.
2662

with
committee amendments

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:
�MARCH
16, 2026

����� The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens
Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2662.

����� As amended by the committee, 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 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.

����� 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)� clarify that certified nurse midwives and
physicians who practice obstetrics and prenatal care are required to provide to
each pregnant patient in their care information on all available birthing
options;

����� (2)� require the Commissioner of Health, in
consultation with certified nurse midwives and physicians in the State, to
develop the information to be provided;

����� (3)� require the Commissioner of Health to take
reasonable steps to ensure that the information is provided in a language that
the pregnant patient can understand; and

����� (4)� remove the requirement that the information is to
be provided on an annual basis.