Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex)
Assemblywoman NANCY J. PINKIN
District 18 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Chaparro, Assemblyman McKeon and Assemblywoman Murphy
SYNOPSIS
Requires DOH to establish “My Life, My Plan” program to support women of childbearing age in developing reproductive life plan.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning long-term reproductive planning 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. The Commissioner of Health shall establish a “My Life, My Plan” program in the Department of Health to promote and support reproductive life planning for all women of childbearing age and their families. Program resources shall include interactive online educational materials and tools to assist women with developing a reproductive life plan, including: specific action steps based on each woman’s values and reproductive goals; resources to promote good physical and mental health; resources concerning healthy relationships and domestic violence; resources concerning long-term family planning and contraception options; resources related to healthy environments and mitigating exposure to environmental risk factors; resources concerning financial health; resources related to child care assistance, including referral services and information concerning the New Jersey Child Care Subsidy Program and social service programs with a child care component; and resources specific to teenagers. Program resources may additionally include materials to assist men with reproductive life planning.
b. The commissioner shall develop programs and resources to encourage health care providers, community health workers, and healthcare facilities to encourage and support women in the development of a reproductive life plan, to encourage the integration of reproductive life plans into patient medical records, and to ensure that consultations, treatment, and other services provided to each woman are consistent with her reproductive life plan.
c. The commissioner may consult with or enter into partnerships with appropriate public and private entities for the purposes of developing and maintaining the “My Life, My Plan” program.
2. The Commissioner of Health, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Commissioner of Health to establish a “My Life, My Plan” program in the Department of Health to promote and support reproductive life planning for all women of childbearing age and their families. Program resources are to include interactive online educational materials and tools to assist women with developing a reproductive life plan, including: specific action steps based on each woman’s values and reproductive goals; resources to promote good physical and mental health; resources concerning healthy relationships and domestic violence; resources concerning long-term family planning and contraception options; resources related to healthy environments and mitigating exposure to environmental risk factors; resources concerning financial health; resources related to child care; and resources specific to teenagers. Program resources may additionally include materials to assist men with reproductive life planning.
The commissioner is to develop programs and resources to encourage health care providers, community health workers, and healthcare facilities to encourage and support women in the development of a reproductive life plan, to encourage the integration of a reproductive life plans into patient medical records, and to ensure that consultations, treatment, and other services provided to each woman are consistent with her reproductive life plan.
The commissioner will be permitted to consult with or enter into partnerships with appropriate public and private entities for the purposes of developing and maintaining the “My Life, My Plan” program.
Currently, approximately half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Unintended pregnancies can have negative effects on both maternal and child health outcomes, as they do not always provide a mother with time to access preconception healthcare. A reproductive life plan is a set of goals and action steps based on personal values, and includes resources to facilitate decisions as to whether to have children and when to become pregnant. Reproductive life plans are intended to promote planned, healthy pregnancies, positive birth outcomes, and overall health and well-being for women, men, and infants. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all women, men, and couples be encouraged to have a reproductive life plan.