SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3404

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 7, 2019

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3404.

     As amended by the committee, this bill requires the Department of Health (DOH) to create a best practices manual for maternity care. 

     Under the bill, the DOH, in consultation with interested stakeholders, is to develop a best practices manual for prenatal and postpartum maternal care, which is to be designed to improve medical treatment for maternity patients.  Each hospital and ambulatory care facility that provides care to maternity patients is to be required to adopt and ensure compliance with the best practices manual as a condition of licensure.  The best practices manual is to include, but is not to be limited to, requirements concerning:  simulation drills; obstetric response teams; screenings; treatment guidelines; the review and update of facility policies to facilitate implementation of these best practices; and the reporting of adverse events.  The DOH is to establish a system to revise and update the best practices manual as may be appropriate.

     As amended, the bill provides that the DOH is to apply for and accept any grant of money from the State or federal government or other sources, which may be available to carry out the purposes of the bill.  Further, the bill provides for a $950,000 appropriation from New Jersey’s General Fund to carry out the purposes of this bill.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to clarify that DOH is required to apply for and accept any grant of money for the State or federal government or other sources, instead of seeking funds from the federal government, private donors, and any additional sources, as currently provided in the bill, to carry out the purposes of the bill.