ASSEMBLY HEALTH COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
ASSEMBLY, No. 1996
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: DECEMBER 16, 2024
The Assembly Health Committee reports favorably and with
committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 1996.
As amended, this bill directs every hospital or birthing center
licensed in the State, every federally qualified health center, and every
health care practitioner providing care to a pregnant person or to
a
person who has given birth within the prior 12 weeks, to adopt and
adhere to policies requiring the person to be screened for hypertensive
disorders related to pregnancy, including, but not limited to,
postpartum preeclampsia and hypertension if the person shows
symptoms of the condition and has not in the current or recent
pregnancy previously been diagnosed with the condition or after the
onset of such symptoms.
A hospital or
birthing center, or a federally qualified health center
providing care to, or a health care practitioner who is the primary
caregiver for, a pregnant person or a person who seeks treatment
within 12 weeks of giving birth, is to, in accordance with policies
developed under the bill:
(1) provide the person with information on hypertensive disorders
related to pregnancy preeclampsia, including, but not limited to,
postpartum preeclampsia and hypertension and potential warning signs
and symptoms
through the educational information developed under
the bill;
(2) inform the person of the benefits of being screened for
hypertensive disorders related to pregnancy preeclampsia, including
but not limited to postpartum preeclampsia and hypertension if the
person shows symptoms of any such disorders, and that the person
should be screened for hypertensive disorders related to pregnancy;
and
(3) inform the person of the benefits of routinely engaging in home
blood pressure monitoring and encourage the person to do so.
The Commissioner of Health is to, in consultation with the State
Board of Medical Examiners, develop educational information
concerning hypertensive disorders related to pregnancy, including, but
not limited to, postpartum preeclampsia and hypertension for pregnant
individuals and individuals who have recently given birth. The
educational information is to include information on hypertensive 2
disorders related to pregnancy preeclampsia, including, but not limited
to, postpartum preeclampsia and hypertension and the potential
warning signs and symptoms thereof.
This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2024-2025 session
pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes
required by technical review, which has been performed.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:
The committee amendments:
1) make various changes to section 1 of the bill, including stylistic
and usage changes;
2) make changes as to timing, hypertension disorders related to
pregnancy, screenings, removing the term “physician,” the inclusion of
the State Board of Medical Examiners, patients refusals, and the
elimination of certain organizations;
3) make changes to section 2 of the bill to make rule and
regulation adoption permissive and available to the State Board of
Medical Examiners, and any other agency or board that regulates
health care practitioners;
4) provide that screenings are permissive;
5) eliminate certain paragraphs and subsections; and
6) provide for the development and distribution of educational
information by the DOH to the entities that are subject to the bill’s
provisions.