N.J. Stat. tit. 26, ch. 18

N.J. Stat. tit. 26, ch. 18
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-1 Findings, declarations, relative to maternal mortality, morbidity; New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, Maternal Data Center, established.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Most nations across the globe have successfully reduced their maternal mortality rates over the past two and a half decades, in response to a United Nations' call to action; however, the U.S. is one of only a handful of countries where maternal mortality rates have continued to rise (increasing by 27 percent between 2000 and 2014); b. The U.S. is currently ranked 50th in the world in maternal mortality, with a rate of maternal death that is nearly three times the rate that exists in the United Kingdom, and about six times the rate that exists in the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden; c. In New Jersey, there is currently a Maternal Mortality Case Review Team that operates out of the Department of Health (DOH), and periodically reviews and provides statistics on maternal deaths occurring in the State; d. A document produced by Every Mother Counts shows that New Jersey is ranked 46th of the 50 states in total maternal mortality, with a rate of 37.3 maternal deaths per every 100,000 live births, and that African-American women in New Jersey are five times more likely than Caucasian women to die from pregnancy-related complications; e. Although the DOH Maternal Mortality Case Review Team produces important statistical data, the team is not permanently established by statute, does not meet regularly, produces only periodic reports on maternal mortality, and uses varying datasets in those periodic reports, making the aggregation and comparison of data by interested parties more difficult; f. There is a need to coordinate and expand the multiple, fractionalized maternal mortality and morbidity reduction efforts being conducted by caring and committed individuals and organizations across the State. Further, it is essential to house these myriad efforts in the DOH, the State-designated agency responsible for public health protection and services. The DOH can uniquely leverage the weight and power of the State to effectuate critical changes in the delivery of care and the implementation of Statewide strategies to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity and to eliminate the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal outcomes; g. To coordinate and support a Statewide strategy to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, the State hereby establishes a New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative (NJMCQC); h. To improve data collection and to improve and assist quality improvement efforts by health care facilities and the State, a Maternal Data Center is hereby established within the Healthcare Quality and Informatics Unit in the DOH; i. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2023, c.109); and j. In order to ensure that the entity reviewing maternal deaths in the State may operate permanently and sustainably, with full statutory authority, in adherence to certain specified powers and responsibilities, it is both reasonable and necessary for the Legislature to replace the existing informal DOH Maternal Mortality Case Review Team with a statutorily established Maternal Mortality Review Committee situated in the Department of Health, which committee will incorporate the membership of the current Maternal Mortality Case Review Team, but will have formal statutory authority, broader powers, and specific goals and directives, as necessary to ensure that it is able to continuously engage in the comprehensive, regular, and uniform review and reporting of maternal deaths throughout the State. L.2019, c.75, s.1; amended 2023, c.109, s.11.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-2 Definitions relative to maternal mortality and morbidity.

2. As used in P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:18-1 et al.): "Authority" means the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-20). "Board" means the board of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority established pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-21). "Committee" means the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:18-4), which is responsible for annually reviewing and reporting on maternal death rates and the causes of maternal death in the State, and which is further responsible for providing recommendations to improve maternal care and reduce adverse maternal outcomes. "Department" means the Department of Health. "Maternal death" means a pregnancy-associated death. "Maternal Mortality Case Review Team" means the interdisciplinary team of experts that is operating in the Department of Health as of the effective date of this act, and which is being replaced by the committee established pursuant to this act. "NJMCQC" means the New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:18-3). "Pregnancy-associated death" means the death of a woman, which occurs while the woman is pregnant, or during the one-year period following the date of the end of the pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death. "Pregnancy-related death" means the death of a woman, which occurs while the woman is pregnant, or during the one-year period following the date of the end of the pregnancy, regardless of the duration of the pregnancy, and which results from any cause related to, or aggravated by, the pregnancy or its management, but excluding any accidental or incidental cause. "Regional Health Hub" means an entity designated as a Regional Health Hub as provided in P.L.2019, c.517 (C.30:4D-8.16 et seq.). "Report of maternal death" means a report of a suspected maternal death, which is filed with the department, pursuant to the processes established under subsection a. of section 7 of P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:18-7), and which is to be forwarded to the committee for the purposes of investigation, as provided by subsection b. of that section. "Severe maternal morbidity" means the physical and psychological conditions that result from, or are aggravated by, pregnancy, and which have an adverse effect on the health of a woman. "State registrar" means the State registrar of vital statistics, who is responsible for supervising the registration of, and maintaining, death records in the State, in accordance with the provisions of R.S.26:8-1 et seq. L.2019, c.75, s.2; amended 2023, c.109, s.12.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-3 New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative (NJMCQC).

3. a. There is hereby established in the Department of Health the New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative (NJMCQC). Until the conditions set forth in subsection c. of section 4 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-20) are met, the NJMCQC shall work with the Governor's office to coordinate all efforts and strategies to reduce maternal mortality, mobility, and racial and ethnic disparities in the State. At such time as the conditions set forth in subsection c. of section 4 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-20) are met, the NJMCQC shall reorganize under the authority, and shall work under the supervision and oversight of the board established pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-21) to coordinate efforts and strategies to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity, and racial and ethnic disparities in the State; however, notwithstanding this reorganization, at such time as the conditions set forth in subsection c. of section 4 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-20) are met, oversight and supervision of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee shall be assumed by the Department of Health. b. The NJMCQC shall work collaboratively with current organizations that are developing and implementing maternal mortality and morbidity reduction strategies, including the New Jersey Hospital Association's Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. c. The NJMCQC shall be composed of 39 members, including eight ex-officio members and 31 public members appointed by the Governor. (1) The ex officio members shall include the following persons or their designees: the Deputy Commissioner of Health Systems in the Department of Health; the Deputy Commissioner of Public Health Services in the Department of Health; the Director of the Office of Minority and Multicultural Health in the Department of Health; the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services; the Assistant Commissioner of Health and Life Insurance Plans in the Department of Banking and Insurance; the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety; the Director of the New Jersey Maternal Data Center in the Department of Health; and the president and chief executive officer of the authority, who shall serve as chairperson of the NJMCQC. (2) The public members appointed by the Governor shall include members representing each of the following groups: the New Jersey Hospital Association; the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute; the Catholic HealthCare Partnership of New Jersey; the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey; the Fair Share Hospitals Collaborative; the New Jersey section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives; the New Jersey Medical Society; two medical directors of health plans in the State, as recommended to the commissioner by the President of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans; the New Jersey Section of the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians; a New Jersey affiliate of Planned Parenthood; the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons; the New Jersey Primary Care Association; the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey; the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium; the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative; each of the four existing Regional Health Hubs or any successor organization to that Regional Health Hub; the Perinatal Health Equity Initiative; and eight additional public members appointed on the recommendation of the Governor, including: one member who is engaged in maternal health advocacy; one member who is engaged in health equity advocacy; one member who has personal experience in receiving perinatal services in one of the 10 New Jersey municipalities with the highest infant mortality rates in the State; one member who has expertise in maternal or infant health workforce development or graduate health education; one member who has expertise in behavioral health; one member who has expertise in providing doula services; one member who expertise in providing lactation services as an international board certified lactation consultant; and one member who is engaged in healthcare consumer advocacy. d. The public members of the NJMCQC shall serve without compensation and shall each serve for a term of three years. Each public member shall serve for the term of appointment and shall serve until a successor is appointed and qualified, except that a public member may be reappointed to the NJMCQC upon the expiration of the member's term. Any vacancy in the membership shall be filled, for the unexpired term, in the same manner as the original appointment. e. The board, in consultation with the NJMCQC, shall adopt and implement the strategic plan for the State of New Jersey to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity, and racial and ethnic disparities. The NJMCQC shall meet quarterly to develop recommendations to submit to the board for review and approval, which recommendations shall include, but shall not be limited to, proposed activities that forward the strategic plan, strategies on future activities, funding opportunities, action items based on the data generated and collected by the Maternal Data Center, the Healthcare Quality and Informatics Unit, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the Department of Health, and its partners, and strategies to communicate goals and achievement of these goals with stakeholders. f. The board, in consultation with the NJMCQC, shall: (1) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2023, c.109) (2) Apply for and accept any grant of money from the federal government, private foundations or other sources, which may be available for programs related to maternal mortality, morbidity, and racial and ethnic disparities; (3) Coordinate with the Department of Health to receive federal funds specifically designated for programs concerning maternal mortality, morbidity, and racial and ethnic disparities; (4) Enter into contracts with individuals, organizations, and institutions necessary for the performance of its duties under P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:18-1 et al.); and (5) Establish and coordinate among subcommittees as necessary to achieve the purposes of the NJMCQC. g. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2023, c.109) L.2019, c.75, s.3; amended 2023, c.109, s.13.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-4 Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

4. a. There is hereby established, in the Department of Health, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which shall be tasked with annually reviewing and reporting on maternal death rates and the causes of maternal death in the State, and providing recommendations to improve maternal care and reduce severe adverse outcomes related to, or associated with, pregnancy. The committee shall replace and supersede the Maternal Mortality Case Review Team that is currently constituted in the department. The committee shall be composed of 24 members, including 4 ex officio members as provided in subsection b. of this section, and 20 public members, as provided in subsection c. of this section. b. The ex officio members of the committee shall include the following persons, or their designees: the State Medical Examiner; the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Health; the Director of the Maternal Data Center established by section 14 of P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:2C-13); and the Medical Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services; c. (1) Seven of the public members shall be appointed by the Governor to represent the following groups: the New Jersey section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG); the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives; the New Jersey Section of the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN); the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians; the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey; the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium; and the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative. (2) The additional 13 public members of the committee shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Health, to reflect the diversity in the state's geographic regions and perinatal designations and shall include: seven licensed and practicing health care practitioners, one of whom specializes in obstetrics or gynecology, one of whom specializes in maternal and fetal medicine, one of whom specializes in critical care medicine, one of whom specializes in perinatal pathology, two of whom serve in clinical roles providing pre or post-natal care at Federally Qualified Health Centers operating in the State, and one anesthesiologist; one licensed and practicing health care practitioner or mental health care practitioner; one substance use disorder treatment professional who specializes in perinatal addiction; one certified nurse midwife; one registered professional nurse or advanced practice nurse who specializes in hospital-based obstetric nursing; one licensed practical nurse, registered professional nurse, or advanced practice nurse who participates in, and represents, the Nurse-Family Partnership operating in New Jersey; and one Certified Midwife or Certified Professional Midwife. d. Of the 13 public members appointed to the committee by the Commissioner of Health, not more than seven shall be of the same political party. e. Each public member of the committee shall serve for a term of four years; however, of the public members first appointed, four shall serve an initial term of two years, four shall serve an initial term of three years, and five shall serve an initial term of four years. Each public member shall serve for the term of their appointment, and until a successor is appointed and qualified, except that a public member may be reappointed to the committee upon the expiration of their term. Any vacancy in the membership shall be filled, for the unexpired term, in the same manner as the original appointment. f. All initial appointments to the committee shall be made within 60 days after the effective date of this act. Upon the appointment of a majority of the committee members, the Maternal Mortality Case Review Team, which is constituted in the Department of Health as of the effective date of this act, shall be disbanded. g. Any member of the committee may be removed by the Commissioner of Health, for cause, after a public hearing. L.2019, c.75, s.4.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-5 Committee; organization, meetings, support staff.

5. a. The committee shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of a majority of its members, and shall annually elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members. The chairperson may appoint a secretary, who need not be a member of the committee. b. The committee shall meet pursuant to a schedule to be established at its first meeting, and it shall additionally meet at the call of its chairperson or the Commissioner of Health; however, in no case shall the committee meet less than four times a year. c. A majority of the total number of members appointed to the committee shall constitute a quorum for the conducting of official committee business. A vacancy in the membership of the committee shall not impair the right of the committee to exercise its powers and duties, provided that a majority of the currently appointed members are available to conduct business. Any recommendations of the committee shall be approved by a majority of the members present. d. The members of the committee shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of their official duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for such purposes. e. The Department of Health shall employ, at a minimum, the following support staff for the committee: a program manager, a clinical nurse case abstractor; two maternal child health epidemiologists, a case abstraction manager, and any other staff the Commissioner of Health shall deem necessary. The Department of Health shall also provide such administrative staff support to the committee as shall be necessary for the committee to carry out its duties. L.2019, c.75, s.5.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-6 Powers, duties, responsibilities of Maternal Mortality Review Committee.

6. a. The Maternal Mortality Review Committee shall have the power to: (1) carry out any power, duty, or responsibility expressly granted by this act; (2) adopt, amend, or repeal suitable bylaws for the management of its affairs; (3) maintain an office at such place or places as it may designate; (4) apply for, receive, and accept, from any federal, State, or other public or private source, grants, loans, or other moneys that are made available for, or in aid of, the committee's authorized purposes, or that are made available to assist the committee in carrying out its powers, duties, and responsibilities under this act; (5) enter into any and all agreements or contracts, execute any and all instruments, and do and perform any and all acts or things necessary, convenient, or desirable to further the purposes of the committee; (6) call to its assistance, and avail itself of the services of, such employees of any State entity or local government unit as may be required and available for the committee's purposes; (7) review and investigate reports of maternal death; conduct witness interviews, and hear testimony provided under oath at public or private hearings, on any material matter; and request, or compel through the issuance of a subpoena, the attendance of relevant witnesses and the production of relevant documents, records, and papers; (8) solicit and consider public input and comment on the committee's activities by periodically holding public hearings or conferences, and by providing other opportunities for such input and comment by interested parties; and (9) identify, and promote the use of, best practices in maternal care, and encourage and facilitate cooperation and collaboration among health care facilities, health care professionals, administrative agencies, and local government units for the purposes of ensuring the provision of the highest quality maternal care throughout the State. b. The Maternal Mortality Review Committee shall have the duty and responsibility to: (1) develop mandatory and voluntary maternal death reporting processes, in accordance with the provisions of section 7 of this act and, at a minimum meet or exceed current federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting methodologies; (2) conduct an investigation of each reported case of maternal death, and prepare a de-identified case summary for each such case, in accordance with the provisions of section 8 of this act; (3) review the statistical data on maternal deaths that is forwarded by the Maternal Data Center pursuant to section 14 of this act, and the reports of maternal death that are forwarded by the department, pursuant to subsection b. of section 7 of this act, in order to identify Statewide and regional maternal death rates; trends, patterns, and disparities in adverse maternal outcomes; and medical, non-medical, and system-related factors that may have contributed to maternal deaths and treatment disparities; and (4) annually report its findings and recommendations on maternal mortality to the department, the Governor, and the Legislature, in accordance with section 9of this act. L.2019, c.75, s.6.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-7 Duties of committee upon organization relative to reporting, recordkeeping of maternal deaths.

7. a. Within 90 days after the committee's organizational meeting, the committee shall: (1) develop a mandatory maternal death reporting process, pursuant to which health care practitioners, medical examiners, hospitals, birthing centers, and other relevant professional actors and health care facilities will be required to confidentially report to the Department of Health on individual cases of maternal death. In developing a mandatory maternal death reporting process pursuant to this paragraph, the committee may, as deemed to be appropriate, review and incorporate elements of the maternal death reporting process that is used by the Maternal Mortality Case Review Team as of the effective date of this act; and (2) develop a voluntary maternal death reporting process, pursuant to which the family members of a deceased woman, and any other interested members of the public, will be permitted, but not required, to confidentially report to the Department of Health on individual cases of perceived maternal death. At a minimum, the process developed pursuant to this paragraph shall require the department to: (a) post on its Internet website a hyperlink, a toll-free telephone number, and an email address, which may each be used for the voluntary submission of public reports of maternal death; and (b) publicize the availability of these resources to professional organizations, community organizations, social service agencies, and members of the public. b. The department shall keep a record of all reports of maternal death that are submitted thereto through the reporting processes that are established by the committee pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection a. of this section. The department shall also ensure that a copy of each such report of maternal death is promptly forwarded to the committee, so that the committee may properly execute its investigatory functions and other duties and responsibilities under this act. L.2019, c.75, s.7.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-8 Actions upon receipt of report of maternal death.

8. a. Upon receipt of a report of maternal death, which has been forwarded to the committee pursuant to subsection b. of section 7 of this act, the committee shall investigate the reported case in accordance with the provisions of this section. In conducting the investigation, the committee shall consider: (1) the information contained in the forwarded report of maternal death; (2) any relevant information contained in the deceased woman's autopsy report or death record, or in a certificate of live birth or fetal death for the woman's child, or in any other vital records pertaining to the woman; (3) any relevant information contained in the deceased woman's medical records, including: (a) records related to the health care that was provided to the woman prior to her pregnancy; (b) records related to the woman's prenatal and postnatal care, labor and delivery care, emergency room care, and any other care delivered up until the time of the woman's death; and (c) the woman's hospital discharge records and all hospital records including all emergency room and outpatient records from the one-year period following the end of the pregnancy; (4) information obtained through the oral and written interviews of individuals who were directly involved in the care of the woman either during, or immediately following, her pregnancy, including interviews with relevant health care practitioners, mental health care practitioners, and social service providers, and, as deemed to be appropriate and necessary, interviews with the woman's family members; (5) background information about the deceased woman, including, but not limited to, information regarding the woman's age, race, and socioeconomic status; and (6) any other information that may shed light on the maternal death, including, but not limited to, reports from social service or child welfare agencies. b. At the conclusion of an investigation conducted pursuant to this section, the committee shall prepare a case summary, which shall include the committee's findings with regard to the cause of, or the factors that contributed to, the maternal death, and recommendations for actions that should be undertaken, or policies that should be implemented, to mitigate or eliminate those factors and causes in the future. Any case summary prepared pursuant to this subsection shall omit the identifying information of the deceased woman and her family members, the health care providers who provided care, and the hospitals where care was provided. c. The committee may present its findings and recommendations on each individual case, or on groups of individual cases, as deemed appropriate, to the health care facility or facilities where relevant care was provided in the case or group of cases, and to the individual health care practitioners who provided such care, or to any relevant professional organization, for the purposes of instituting or facilitating policy changes, educational activities, or improvements in the quality of care provided; or for the purposes of exploring, facilitating, or establishing regional projects or other collaborative projects that are designed to reduce instances of maternal death. L.2019, c.75, s.8.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-9 Reports.

9. a. Within one year after its organization, and annually thereafter, the committee shall prepare, and submit to the Department of Health, to the Governor, and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report containing the committee's findings on the rates and causes of maternal deaths occurring in the State during the preceding year, and providing recommendations for legislative or other action that can be undertaken to: (a) improve the quality of maternal care and reduce adverse maternal outcomes in the State; (b) increase the availability of, and improve access to, social and health care services for pregnant women; and (c) reduce or eliminate racial and other disparities in maternal care and treatment, both during, and in the year after, pregnancy. Each annual report, with the exception of the first report prepared under this section, shall additionally identify the extent to which the committee's prior recommendations have been successfully implemented in practice, and the apparent impact that the implementation of such recommended changes has had on maternal care in the preceding year. b. The report that is annually prepared pursuant to this section shall be based on: (1) the case summaries that were prepared by the committee over the preceding year, pursuant to subsection b. of section 8 of this act; (2) the statistical data that was forwarded to the committee, during the preceding year, by the Maternal Data Center, pursuant to section 14 of this act; and (3) any other relevant information, including information from the committee's prior annual reports, or information on any collaborative maternal health arrangements that have been established by health care providers, professional organizations, local government units, or other relevant actors or entities in the preceding year, in response to the committee outreach authorized by subsection c. of section 8 of this act, or by paragraph (9) of subsection a. of section 6, of this act. c. Upon receipt of the committee's annual report pursuant to this section, the department shall post a copy of the report at a publicly accessible location on its Internet website, and shall take appropriate steps to otherwise broadly publicize the committee's findings and recommendations. The Commissioner of Health shall also adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the recommendations contained in the report, to the extent that such recommendations can be implemented through administrative rule-making action. L.2019, c.75, s.9.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-10 Development of ongoing maternal health educational program and module.

10. a. Upon receipt of the committee's first annual report, issued pursuant to section 9 of this act, the department, working in consultation with the committee, the Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the Maternal Child Health Consortia, and other relevant professional organizations and patient advocacy groups, shall develop an ongoing maternal health educational program for health care practitioners, as may be necessary to improve the quality of maternal care and reduce adverse outcomes related to, or associated with, pregnancy. The educational program established pursuant to this section shall initially be based on, and shall reflect, the findings and recommendations identified in the committee's first report. However, once the educational program is established, the department shall, on at least an annual basis thereafter, review the program and make necessary changes to ensure that the ongoing education provided thereunder accurately reflects, and is consistent with, the latest data, findings, and recommendations of the committee, as reflected in the committee's most recent annual report. b. Each hospital and birthing facility in the State shall require its health care practitioners involved in labor, delivery, and postpartum care to complete a standardized maternal patient discharge education module, pursuant to which such health care practitioners will be educated in the complications of childbirth, and the warning signs of complications in women who have just given birth. This educational module may be implemented in each facility before the department finalizes the Statewide educational program that is to be established under subsection a. of this section; however, after the Statewide educational program is finalized under subsection a. of this section, the educational modules implemented pursuant to this subsection shall be modified as necessary to conform to the department's educational program. Any modules implemented before the department's Statewide educational program is finalized shall address the most frequent causes of maternal mortality, including but not limited to, hemorrhage, hypertension, preeclampsia, heart failure and chest pain, infection, embolism, and postpartum depression. Each facility shall additionally provide this information, both orally and in writing, to any woman who has given birth at the facility, prior to discharge. The educational module implemented under this subsection shall be completed by all relevant health care practitioners at the facility, as a condition of their practice or employment in the facility, and may be used to satisfy relevant continuing education requirements applicable to each such health care practitioner. c. Within 90 days after the effective date of this act, the Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as necessary to implement the provisions of this section. L.2019, c.75, s.10.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-11 Confidentiality.

11. a. (1) Except as otherwise provided by subsection b. of this section, all proceedings and activities of the Maternal Mortality Review Committee; all opinions of the members of the committee, which are formed as a result of the committee's proceedings and activities; and all records obtained, created, or maintained by the committee, including written reports and records of interviews or oral statements, shall be confidential, and shall not be subject to public inspection, discovery, subpoena, or introduction into evidence in any civil, criminal, legislative, or other proceeding. (2) In no case shall the committee disclose any personally identifiable information to the public, or include any personally identifiable information in a case summary that is prepared pursuant to subsection b. of section 8 of this act, or in an annual report that is prepared pursuant to section 9 of this act. (3) Members of the committee shall not be questioned in any civil, criminal, legislative, or other proceeding regarding information that has been presented in, or opinions that have been formed as a result of, a meeting or communication of the committee; however, nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a committee member from being questioned, or from testifying, in relation to publicly available information or information that was obtained independent of the member's participation on the committee. b. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the committee from publishing, or from otherwise making available for public inspection, statistical compilations or reports that are based on confidential information, provided that those compilations and reports do not contain personally identifying information or other information that could be used to ultimately identify the individuals concerned. L.2019, c.75, s.11.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-12 Annual compilation, statistics.

12. a. (1) On an annual basis, and using the death records that have been filed during the preceding year, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee shall work collaboratively with the Maternal Data Center in the Healthcare Quality and Informatics Unit and the Department of Health's Maternal Health epidemiologists and other staff to identify: (a) the total number of maternal deaths that have occurred in the State during the year, and during each quarter of the year; (b) the average Statewide rate of maternal death occurring during the year; (c) the number and percentage of maternal deaths that occurred during the year in each of the Northern, Central, and Southern regions of the State; (d) the number and percentage of maternal deaths, on a Statewide and regional basis, that constituted pregnancy-associated deaths, and the number and percentage of maternal deaths, on a Statewide and regional basis, that constituted pregnancy-related deaths; (e) the areas of the State where the rates of maternal death are significantly higher than the Statewide average; and (f) the rate of racial disparities in maternal deaths occurring on a Statewide and regional basis. (2) The results of the annual analysis that is conducted pursuant to this subsection shall be posted at a publicly accessible location on the Internet website of the Department of Health, and shall also be promptly forwarded to the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority and the NJMCQC. b. In order to accomplish its duties under this section, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee shall: (1) for the purposes of determining the total number of pregnancy-associated deaths, review each woman's death record, and match the death record with a certificate of live birth, or with a fetal or infant death record, for the woman's child, in order to confirm whether the woman died during pregnancy, or within one year after the end of pregnancy; and (2) for the purposes of determining the total number of pregnancy-related deaths, review each woman's death record, and identify each such death record in which the death is reported to have resulted from an underlying or contributing cause related to pregnancy, regardless of the amount of time that has passed between the end of the pregnancy and the death. The Maternal Mortality Review Committee may also use any other appropriate means or methods to identify maternal deaths. Such means or methods may include, but need not be limited to, use of the case ascertainment system devised by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. L.2019, c.75, s.12; amended 2023, c.109, s.14.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-13 Maternal Data Center.

14. a. The Department of Health shall establish a Maternal Data Center in the Healthcare Quality and Informatics Unit that shall develop protocols and requirements for the submission of maternal mortality, morbidity and racial and ethnic disparity data indicators; collect this information from relevant health care facilities in the State; conduct rapid-cycle data analytics; develop reports and a public facing dashboard; and disseminate the information collected to the NJMCQC, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, participating health care facilities, and other stakeholders as identified by the Department of Health. Each participating facility shall have full access to data reported to the Maternal Data Center, provided that any data accessible to participating facilities shall be de-identified, and further provided that nothing in this subsection shall authorize the disclosure of any confidential or personal identifying information for any patient. b. The Maternal Data Center shall employ a director, three research scientists, a technical assistant, and other staff as necessary to implement the requirements set forth in subsection a. of this section. L.2019, c.75, s.14; amended 2023, c.109, s.15.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-14 Establishment, collection of fees.

15. The Commissioner of Health shall establish and collect maternal data center membership fees from health care facilities, as defined by the Commissioner of Health, that are licensed to provide maternal care services in the State and that enter into a written agreement with the Department of Health to participate in the Maternal Data Center pursuant to section 14 of this act. The membership fee shall be required of each licensed facility participating in the Maternal Data Center, and in no case shall the amount of the fee exceed $10,000 per facility per year. Each participating facility shall pay its annual membership fee on a date as shall be required by the commissioner. The revenue from these fees shall be used to fund the Maternal Data Center to implement the requirements pursuant to section 14 of this act. The commissioner shall be authorized to seek out and accept such other sources of funding as may be available from appropriate public and private sources for the purposes of the Maternal Data Center. L.2019, c.75, s.15.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-15 "Maternal Data Center Fund."

16. a. There is established the "Maternal Data Center Fund" as a nonlapsing, revolving fund in the Department of Health. The fund shall be comprised of membership fees collected from facilities licensed to provide maternal care services that enter into a written agreement with the Department of Health to participate in the Maternal Data Center pursuant to section 15 of this act as well as any other funds collected by the department pursuant to section 15 of this act. b. The Commissioner of Health shall deposit all membership fees and other funds collected pursuant to section 15 of this act into the fund. Monies credited to the fund may be invested in the same manner as assets of the General Fund, and any investment earnings on the fund shall accrue to the fund and shall be available subject to the same terms and conditions as other monies in the fund. c. Commencing July 1, 2019, and annually thereafter, monies in the fund shall be appropriated by the Legislature to the Department of Health for the purposes of operating and maintaining the Maternal Data Center pursuant to section 14 of this act. L.2019, c.75, s.16.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-16 Rules, regulations.

17. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act. L.2019, c.75, s.17.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-17 Short title.

1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center Act." L.2023, c.109, s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-18 Findings, declarations.

2. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. In 2019, New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy and First Lady Tammy Snyder Murphy launched Nurture NJ, a Statewide campaign committed to both reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and ensuring equitable access to and provision of care among women and children of all races and ethnicities. b. At the time, New Jersey was ranked as low as 47th in the United States for maternal deaths and had one of the widest racial disparities for both maternal and infant mortality. c. Such inequities are particularly evident in our capital city of Trenton, which experiences the highest maternal and infant health disparities among our Black and Hispanic communities. The City of Trenton is among the cities with the highest rates of Black and Hispanic infant mortality; and only 47 percent of mothers in Trenton receive prenatal care in their first trimester. d. In January 2021, the Nurture NJ Strategic Plan included a recommendation to establish a center in the State capital, Trenton, that focuses on innovation and research in maternal and infant health through collaboration with the State's academic, philanthropic, business, and faith communities in partnership with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Departments of Health, Human Services, and Children and Families, and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. e. In order to create, fund, and sustain such a facility, to ensure that substantial commitments are made to its related activities, and to position New Jersey to acknowledge and act upon the health disparities and harm wrought by racism and other forms of systemic oppression that have created a public health crisis for Black and Hispanic mothers and their babies, it is necessary to create an authority independent of any supervision or control by the principal departments of the Executive Branch of the State Government. f. The authority will operate a Trenton-based New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center, and will collaborate with other State departments and agencies to advance maternal and infant health care and clinical services throughout the State, and lead the State's coordination, promotion, and implementation of, among other things, education, policymaking, research, innovation, and perinatal workforce development, with a particular focus on eliminating racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. g. The New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center will serve as the first-of-its kind central hub to coordinate among national, State, and local agencies, as well as private organizations, to: promote equitable maternal and infant health care services; implement strategies related to health care and social service delivery, perinatal workforce development, community engagement, data collection, research, and analysis; and serve as an incubator of new enterprises, therapeutics, and technological innovations leading to better health outcomes and reduced mortality and morbidity rates for women and children. h. The New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center will be at the forefront of serving maternal and infant health care needs, not only for families residing in the City of Trenton, but also for families throughout the State of New Jersey and the nation, and will enable collaborative partnerships for research and knowledge transfer within the global maternal and infant health communities. L.2023, c.109, s.2.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-19 Definitions.

3. As used in this act: "Authority" means the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-20). "Board" means the board of the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority established pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-21). "Center" means the premises located in the City of Trenton used by the authority pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.). "Community advisory committee" means the community advisory committee established pursuant to section 8 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-24). "New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative" or "NJMCQC" means the New Jersey Maternal Care Quality Collaborative, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:18-3). L.2023, c.109, s.3.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-20 New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, established.

4. a. The New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority is created and established in, but not of, the Department of the Treasury. b. The authority shall: (1) establish and oversee the New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Center, which shall serve as a central hub to coordinate among national, State, and local agencies, as well as private organizations, to: (a) provide perinatal, infant care, related health services, and other services as outlined in P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.) to the residents of the City of Trenton and others who are in need of such services; (b) promote equitable maternal and infant health care services; (c) implement strategies related to health care and social service delivery, perinatal workforce development, community engagement, data collection, research, and analysis; and (d) serve as an incubator of new enterprises, therapeutics, and technological innovations leading to better health outcomes and reduced mortality and morbidity rates for women and children; and (2) be responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of programs and services to improve the State's maternal and infant health outcomes, address racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality rates, ensure infant and perinatal care is provided on an equitable basis, and eliminate disparities in access to care, including, but not limited to, health care and social service delivery, research and innovation, perinatal workforce development, education and public awareness, and other initiatives as may be undertaken by the authority. c. The authority shall become the agency primarily responsible for coordinating efforts and strategies to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity, and racial and ethnic disparities in the State at such time as the members of the board are appointed pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-21) and the board first organizes. At that time, and except as otherwise provided by this act, all powers, duties, and responsibilities authorized pursuant to P.L.2019, c.75 (C.26:18-1 et al.) shall be transferred from the NJMCQC to the authority. Thereafter, the NJMCQC shall be reorganized within the authority and shall operate under the supervision and oversight of the board as provided in section 5 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-21). The provisions of this subsection shall be carried out in accordance with the "State Agency Transfer Act," P.L.1971, c.375 (C.52:14D-1 et seq.), and the transfer of oversight over the NJMCQC shall include transfer of all files, books, papers, records, equipment, and other property or resources held by the NJMCQC, including, but not limited to, any State funds that have been appropriated to the Department of Health for the exclusive use of the NJMCQC, which shall be deposited in accounts as may be permitted or required by law. L.2023, c.109, s.4.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-20.1 Doulas, midwife services, public awareness campaign, definitions.

1. a. The New Jersey Maternal Infant Health Innovation Authority, established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-20), in consultation with the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services and subject to the availability of funds, shall establish a public awareness campaign to provide information to the general public about the benefits of doulas and midwife services. The public awareness campaign shall include, at a minimum, a comprehensive description of : (1) the person-centered and supportive services provided for birthing persons and infants during the prenatal, birthing, and postpartum periods by doulas and midwives; (2) the culturally competent nature of the care and services provided by doulas and midwives to birthing persons; (3) the health benefits and improved maternal and infant health outcomes that may result from doula and midwives; and (4) any free or low-cost resources made available by the State for doula and midwife services, including, but not limited to, information concerning NJ FamilyCare coverage of doula and midwife services for pregnant, birthing, and postpartum enrollees. b. Notwithstanding any provisions of P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.) to the contrary, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Maternal Infant Health Innovation Authority shall, at a minimum: (1) provide for the development of printed and electronic educational materials related to the public awareness campaign established pursuant to subsection a. of this section in additional languages to those all State government entities are required to use pursuant to P.L.2023, c.263 (C.52:14-40 et seq.); and (2) make those materials available for download online and encourage the distribution of the materials to the public through a variety of entities, including, but not limited to: local health agencies and clinics; local health care providers and facilities; reproductive health service providers, including, but not limited to, Planned Parenthood health clinics; local WIC agencies and clinic offices; county human services offices; pharmacies; and other community-based outreach programs and organizations in the State. c. As used in this section: "Doula services" shall have the same meaning as provided in in section 1 of P.L.2023, c.286 (C.26:2H-12.6i). "Midwife" means a certified midwife, a certified professional midwife, or a certified nurse midwife pursuant to R.S.45:10-1 et seq. "Reproductive health service provider" means a hospital, clinic, physician's office, or other facility that provides reproductive health services, including an employee, a volunteer, or a contractor of the provider. "Reproductive health services" means medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services relating to the human reproductive system, including services relating to pregnancy or the termination of a pregnancy. “WIC” means the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, established pursuant to the federal "Child Nutrition Act of 1966," Pub.L.89-642 (42 U.S.C. s.1771 et seq.). L.2025, c.191.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-21 Governing Board, New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority; duties, responsibilities.

5. a. The authority shall be governed by a board consisting of 15 members as follows: (1) the Commissioner of Health, the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the Commissioner of Human Services, the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, the Commissioner of Children and Families, the Secretary of Higher Education, and the Commissioner of Labor, or their designees, who shall serve ex officio; and (2) eight public members to be appointed by the Governor as follows: (a) one public member appointed upon the recommendation of the Mayor of Trenton; (b) one public member appointed upon the recommendation of the Senate President in consultation with the New Jersey Black, Latino, and Asian-American Legislative Caucuses; (c) one public member appointed upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly in consultation with the New Jersey Black, Latino, and Asian-American Legislative Caucuses; (d) five additional public members. Subject to the requirements of subsection d. of section 8 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-24), the Governor shall select one of the public members appointed pursuant to this subparagraph to serve as the chairperson of the community advisory committee established pursuant to section 8 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-24) and one of the public members appointed pursuant to this subparagraph to serve as the vice-chairperson of the community advisory committee. b. In appointing public members to the board, the Governor shall seek to ensure that, to the extent possible, a majority of the public members have relevant experience in one or more of the following areas related to maternal, infant, and childhood health care, with the goal of ensuring the board includes representative experience in as many of these areas as is possible: obstetrics; neonatal care; perinatal clinical services; family planning; perinatal workforce development; education; research and innovation; community health work; social services; public health awareness; leadership; doula care; midwifery care; and other relevant experience, including lived experience, related to racial disparities affecting delivery of health care services and mortality and morbidity rates. In addition, when appointing public members to the board, the Governor shall seek to appoint women and minorities who have been most acutely impacted by maternal and infant health disparities, with a particular focus on Black and Latina women and on women residing in Trenton, and with additional focus on Black and Latina women who have given birth within the last three years. c. The public members initially appointed to the board shall be appointed no later than 120 days after the effective date of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.). The public members shall serve for a term of five years or until their successors are appointed, except that, of the public members first appointed to the board, two shall serve for one year, three shall serve for two years, and three shall serve for five years. Vacancies in the public membership shall be filled for the duration of the unexpired term. Public members shall be eligible for reappointment to the board. The public members of the board shall receive an annual salary of $20,000. The ex officio members of the board and their designees, if any, shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties, within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the authority for this purpose. The public members appointed to serve as chairperson and vice-chairperson of the community advisory committee pursuant to subparagraph (d) of paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section shall be entitled to receive the stipend authorized pursuant to subsection e. of section 8 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-24). d. Public members appointed by the Governor may be removed from the board by the Governor. Each member, before entering upon the member's duties, shall take and subscribe an oath to perform the duties of the office faithfully, impartially, and justly to the best of the member's ability. A record of these oaths shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. e. The Governor shall annually select a chairperson and vice-chairperson from among the members of the board, at least one of whom shall be the Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of Human Services, or a designee. The chairperson shall coordinate the activities of the board. In the event that the chairperson position is vacant or the chairperson is absent from a meeting of the board, the vice-chairperson shall act as chairperson of the board. f. No member of the board, or officer, employee, or agent of the authority, shall take any official action on any matter in which such person has a direct or indirect personal financial interest. g. A majority of the board members shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of conducting official business. The board may take action upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present. No vacancy in the membership of the board shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the board. A true copy of the minutes of every meeting of the board shall be delivered to the Governor. No action taken at such meeting by the board shall have force or effect until approved by the Governor or until 10 days after such copy of the minutes shall have been delivered. If, in this 10-day period, the Governor returns the copy of the minutes with a veto of any action taken by the board or any member thereof at the meeting, such action shall be null and of no effect. The Governor may approve all or part of the action taken at such meeting prior to the expiration of the 10-day period. h. The board shall meet on a monthly basis and at the call of the chair, and shall additionally meet on a quarterly basis with the community advisory committee established pursuant to section 8 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-24) for the purpose of receiving guidance and feedback related to the purposes of the authority and this act. i. The board shall have the power to: (1) engage with, collaborate, and coordinate efforts among maternal and infant health care stakeholders, including, but not limited to, State and federal agencies and public and private organizations, to advance the purposes of the authority and any of its programs and services, foster collective action, and review progress on improving health outcomes; (2) promote, support, and fund perinatal workforce development, trainings, certifications, education, research, and innovation efforts, including, but not limited to, issuing requests for proposals or requests for qualifications for projects that advance the purposes of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.); providing grants or extending credit, including, but not limited to, loans, to private companies, private and public organizations, or individuals for projects that advance the purposes of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.); entering into agreements and contracts; and establishing a workforce hub to host research, trainings, and guidance; (3) commission, publish, and collaborate on research studies within the State, national, and international maternal and infant health communities; (4) collect, analyze, and disseminate data related to maternal and infant health, in collaboration with the New Jersey Maternal Data Center in the Department of Health, with a particular focus on racial disparities in outcomes, perinatal workforce needs, and development of resources; (5) provide grants or competition prizes and host an innovation incubation space to encourage the development of solutions to problems facing the maternal and infant health care services industry; (6) enter into the membership of other organizations or coalitions; (7) oversee the community advisory committee established pursuant to section 8 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-24) and to establish and oversee any other committees, which may include, but shall not be limited to, an executive committee or a nominating committee, as the board deems necessary; (8) adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business, including, but not limited to, protections against undue influence or quid pro quo transactions relating to the receipt of contributions from private sources; (9) adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the provisions of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.); (10) adopt and have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure; (11) sue and be sued; (12) conduct meetings and public hearings in connection with the purposes of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.); (13) enter into contracts upon those terms and conditions as the authority determines to be reasonable to effectuate the purposes of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.); (14) hire staff as necessary to support the authority's operations; (15) employ consultants, contractors and specialists in the perinatal workforce development, education, research, and innovation, and other fields as may be required in the judgment of the board to effectuate the purposes of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.), and to fix and pay their compensation from funds available therefor, all without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes; (16) contract for and to accept any gifts or grants or loans of funds or property or financial or other aid in any form from the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or from the State or any agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision thereof, or from any beneficiary of a State or federal grant, or from any other public or private source, including private companies and individuals, and to comply with the terms and conditions thereof; (17) solicit contributions from public and private entities for any of its corporate purposes; (18) maintain an office located in the City of Trenton for the operations of the center, and any other satellite offices at such places within the State as the board may designate; (19) acquire, purchase, develop, manage and operate, handle, and dispose of real and personal property or interests therein, acquire an equity interest in any corporation, and take assignments of rentals and leases and make and enter into all contracts, leases, agreements and arrangements necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties, including, but not limited to, the leasing of premises to tenants within the center's offices to licensed health care facilities and providers that offer maternal, infant and pediatric health care services, childbirth education, lactation education and support services, parenting and early childhood education institutions, county colleges, independent New Jersey-based public-mission institutions that receive State operating aid, food and nutrition consultants and support programs, family planning services, behavioral health and other social service providers, and such other entities as the board deems appropriate; (20) procure insurance against any losses in connection with its property, operations, or assets in such amounts and from such insurers as it deems desirable; (21) enter into any agreements necessary to provide for its establishment, operation, and financial support, including memoranda of understanding with other State entities; (22) establish or assume control over a nonprofit entity as authorized under section 9 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-25); and (23) do any and all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes and exercise the powers granted in P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.). L.2023, c.109, s.5.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-22 President, chief executive officer, responsibilities, recruitment, women, minorities, authority staff.

6 a. The authority shall employ a president and chief executive officer, who shall be responsible for the selection of properly qualified staff of the authority, without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes. In selecting staff for the authority, the president and chief executive officer shall seek to recruit women and minorities to serve as the authority's staff. Staff members shall receive compensation and be appointed and employed as provided by the president and chief executive officer, without regard to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes. The president and chief executive officer and all staff members of the center and of the authority shall be deemed confidential employees for the purposes of the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act," P.L.1941, c.100 (C.34:13A-1 et seq.). b. The president and chief executive officer of the authority shall be an individual selected by a majority vote of the members of the board; except that the Governor shall select the initial president and chief executive officer of the authority. The president and chief executive officer shall receive an annual salary as provided by the board. The board shall have the authority to consider, investigate, and evaluate any and all matters or issues relevant to the performance of the president and chief executive officer. L.2023, c.109, s.6.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-23 Purchases, contracts, agreements, awarded, made, public advertisement, bids.

7. a. Except as provided in subsection b. of this section, all purchases, contracts, or agreements made pursuant to P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.) shall be made or awarded directly by the authority after public advertisement for bids, which shall be submitted in the manner provided by the authority, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary. b. A purchase, contract, or agreement may be made, negotiated, or awarded by the authority without public bid or advertising under the following circumstances: (1) When the aggregate amount involved does not exceed the amount set forth in, or the amount calculated by the Governor pursuant to, section 2 of P.L.1954, c.48 (C.52:34-7), unless other State law sets forth a lower bid threshold in a particular case, in which case the lower threshold shall apply. The authority may not divide a contract into multiple proposed contracts in order to take advantage of this exception and shall, if invoking this exception, certify that it has not done so and maintain a record of that certification; (2) In cases of unforeseen life, safety, or health emergencies where the public exigency requires that services or products be purchased immediately; (3) To acquire subject matter which is described in section 4 of P.L.1954, c.48 (C.52:34-9); (4) To make a purchase or award or make a contract or agreement under the circumstances described in section 5 of P.L.1954, c.48 (C.52:34-10); (5) When the contract to be entered into is for the furnishing or performance of services of a professional or technical nature, including legal services, provided that the contract shall be made or awarded directly by the authority; (6) Where a firm has brought an innovative idea to the authority, a request for proposals cannot be constructed without communicating the new idea, and the procurement would not benefit from a competitive selection process; (7) When the authority has advertised for bids and has received no bids in response to its advertisement, or received no responsive bids. Any purchase, contract, or agreement may then be negotiated and may be awarded to any contractor or supplier determined to be responsible, as "responsible" is defined in section 2 of P.L.1971, c.198 (C.40A:11-2), provided that the terms, conditions, restrictions, and specifications set forth in the negotiated contract or agreement are not substantially different from those which were the subject of competitive bidding; and (8) When a purchase is to be made through or by the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property in the Department of the Treasury pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1959, c.40 (C.52:27B-56.1). L.2023, c.109, s.7.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-24 Board, coordinate, community advisory committee.

8. a. The board shall coordinate with a community advisory committee to support and inform the work of the authority. The community advisory committee shall consist of 11 members representing diverse community groups with relevant experience as providers of maternal, infant, and childhood health care services or as recipients of maternal health care services, with a preference for individuals who received maternal health care services within the past three years. b. The members of the community advisory committee shall be appointed by the Governor, who shall consider any recommended candidates presented by the board. The board may solicit applications for candidates to the advisory committee in order to inform its recommendations to the Governor. Committee members shall serve for a term of three years, except that, of the committee members first appointed to the committee, five shall serve for a term of one year and six shall serve for a term of two years. The successors to the initially appointed members shall each be appointed for a term of three years, except that any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired term. The members of the community advisory committee shall be eligible for reappointment to the committee. c. The chairperson and vice-chairperson of the community advisory committee shall be annually selected by the Governor from among the public members of the board pursuant to subparagraph (d) of paragraph (2) of subsection a. of section 5 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-21). The chairperson shall coordinate the activities of the community advisory committee. In the event that the chairperson position is vacant or the chairperson is absent from a meeting of the community advisory committee, the vice-chairperson shall act as chairperson of the committee. d. Four members of the community advisory committee, including either the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the community advisory committee, shall be residents of the City of Trenton with background as either a mother with personal experience in receiving perinatal services in Trenton or as a community stakeholder. The remaining members of the community advisory committee shall be residents of municipalities in different geographic regions of the State with the highest rates of Black and Hispanic infant mortality, and shall have backgrounds as mothers with personal experience in receiving perinatal services or as community stakeholders. e. The committee members shall receive an annual stipend of $20,000, to be paid in increments as determined by the board. L.2023, c.109, s.8.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-25 Authorized purposes, form, assume control, nonprofit entities.

9. a. To effectuate any of its authorized purposes, either directly or indirectly, and in addition to any powers granted to it elsewhere in this act, the authority shall be authorized to form or assume control of one or more nonprofit entities, in the manner and for the purposes set forth in this section. A nonprofit entity established pursuant to this section may be established pursuant to the provisions of the "New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act," N.J.S.15A:1-1 et seq. b. A nonprofit entity established or over which control is assumed pursuant to this section shall have the power to: (1) conduct fundraising activities to solicit funding from public and private organizations to be used in support of maternal and infant health services, social services, perinatal workforce development, education, research, and innovation in the State; and (2) establish, sponsor, and operate membership, including the ability to generate revenue from members of the nonprofit entity. c. The board and any nonprofit entities created or over which control is assumed by the board pursuant to this section may enter into any agreements necessary to provide for the establishment, operation, and financial support of the authority and each nonprofit entity. d. A nonprofit entity established or over which control is assumed pursuant to this section may be organized and operated in such a manner as to be eligible under applicable federal law for tax-exempt status and for the receipt of tax-deductible contributions. e. A nonprofit entity established or over which control is assumed pursuant to this section shall be authorized to sue and to be sued as a legal entity separate from the State of New Jersey. f. No member or employee of a nonprofit established or over which control is assumed pursuant to this section shall engage in any for-profit business transaction or professional activity with the authority. g. All funds received by a nonprofit entity formed or over which control is assumed pursuant to this section, other than those necessary to pay for the expenses of the nonprofit entity, shall be used exclusively for the support of the authority. L.2023, c.109, s.9.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-26 New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, call to assistance, State, county, municipal department, board, bureau, commission, agency employees.

10. a. The authority established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-19) shall be entitled to call to its assistance, and avail itself of, the services of employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. All departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, and agencies are authorized and directed, to the extent not inconsistent with law, to cooperate with the authority. b. Notwithstanding the provisions of any State law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the authority may direct State departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, and agencies to report any data collected or maintained by such entity related to maternal and infant health care, social determinants of health, clinical services, and any other information that may advance the purposes of the authority, as deemed necessary by the authority, and such data shall be provided by the reporting entity on an annual basis, or at such times as otherwise requested by the authority. Nothing in this section shall require the disclosure of information when such disclosure would violate any provision of federal law, rule, or regulation. c. Except as provided in subsection d. of this section, the information required pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be provided by the reporting entity in such manner as may be necessary to protect against the disclosure of any confidential or personal identifying information of any individual. d. In the event the authority requests that a reporting entity provide data that includes any confidential or personal identifying information of any individual, such data shall be kept confidential by the authority consistent with any applicable State and federal law, rule, or regulation. L.2023, c.109, s.10.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-27 Report to the Governor, Legislature.

16. No later than one year after the members of the board are appointed and the board first organizes, and annually thereafter, the authority shall prepare and submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, which report shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operations of the authority, provide details on programs, services, and initiatives established by the authority, and assess the contribution of those programs, services, and initiatives to the advancement of the State's maternal and infant health outcomes. L.2023, c.109, s.16.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-28 Rules, regulations.

17. a. Notwithstanding any provision of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to the contrary, the board, in consultation with the State Treasurer, Commissioner of Health, and Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Authority, shall, immediately upon filing proper notice with the Office of Administrative Law, adopt rules and regulations necessary to enable the board to carry out its duties, functions, and powers pursuant to P.L.2023, c.109 (C.26:18-17 et al.). b. The initial rules and regulations adopted pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be in effect for a period not to exceed one year after the date of filing with the Office of Administrative Law. Thereafter, the rules and regulations shall be adopted, amended, or readopted, and any subsequent rules and regulations shall be adopted, amended, or readopted, by the board in accordance with the requirements of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), in consultation with the State Treasurer, the Commissioner of Health, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Authority, and such other departments, agencies, and authorities as the board deems appropriate. L.2023, c.109, s.17.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-29 "New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority Fund" established, maintained.

18. a. The authority shall establish and maintain a special, nonlapsing fund to be known as the "New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority Fund". The fund shall be operated in a manner determined by the board. The authority may deposit into the fund: (1) such monies as shall be appropriated by the State for the purpose of the fund; (2) such monies as shall be received by the authority from the repayment of loans or other extensions of credit made pursuant to this act; and (3) any other monies or funds of the authority. b. All funds received by the authority, other than those necessary to pay the expenses of the authority, shall be used to advance the purposes of the authority. L.2023, c.109, s.18.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-30 Findings, declarations.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Pregnancy is a significant health event in the lives of many women that presents unique physical, mental, and medical issues, many of which a woman will not encounter at any other point in her life. b. Women experiencing pregnancy, particularly a first pregnancy, frequently lack information and guidance concerning many of the physical symptoms encountered during and after pregnancy. Because so many aspects of a woman's body change during pregnancy, it can be difficult to determine when a particular symptom is normal or may be a sign of an adverse complication that requires medical attention, particularly with regard to symptoms occurring during the postpartum period and after a pregnancy loss or stillbirth. c. Maternal mortality and morbidity rates have increased over the last 20 years both in New Jersey and nationwide, which increased rates have disproportionately affected minority communities. In many cases, the common causes of maternal mortality, including excessive bleeding and infection, are preventable if diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Moreover, postpartum, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth issues that are not typically fatal can seriously affect a woman's quality of life if left untreated. d. Frequently, postpartum issues cannot be detected before the woman is discharged from the hospital. Many symptoms do not manifest until after the woman has returned home, and issues may occur up to one year after birth. It is estimated that between one-third and one-half of pregnancy-associated deaths occur during the postpartum period. All women are susceptible to postpartum complications, not just those identified as "high risk" for complications during pregnancy. e. As many as 40 percent of women never seek out or receive postpartum care, which represents a missed opportunity to screen for postpartum issues and provide necessary medical care. f. Although New Jersey has taken significant steps to improve the provision of maternity care in this State, more needs to be done to ensure that women have the information and resources necessary to enable them to identify and seek treatment for potentially fatal postpartum, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth issues. g. Therefore, it is essential that women have the opportunity to develop an individualized postpartum treatment plan in the course of prenatal care and that they be provided with postpartum care, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth information prior to discharge, including information about normal and abnormal postpartum symptoms, to enable them to make informed observations about their postpartum, pregnancy loss, and stillbirth experiences and seek out medical care when needed. L.2024, c.89, s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 26:18-31 Personalized postpartum care plans.

2. a. Health care professionals, including physicians, advanced practice nurses, certified nurse midwives, certified professional midwives, and certified midwives, who provide prenatal maternity care to a patient shall ensure that the patient has the opportunity to develop a comprehensive personalized postpartum care plan that is consistent with the patient's anticipated postpartum needs and plans. To meet the requirements of this section, a personalized postpartum care plan shall include, at a minimum, all of the following: (1) the name, phone number, and office address of the patient's care team; (2) if applicable, the time, date, and location for the patient's postpartum visits and a phone number to call to schedule or reschedule appointments; (3) guidance regarding breastfeeding to allow the patient to make an informed feeding decision; (4) a reproductive life plan and appropriate contraception; (5) notes about any of the patient's pregnancy complications and recommended follow-ups or test results; (6) guidance regarding signs and symptoms of postpartum depression or anxiety; (7) management, including recommendations on how to manage anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric issues identified during pregnancy or in the postpartum period; (8) recommendations for the management of postpartum issues, such as, without limitation, pelvic floor exercise for stress, urinary incontinence, or water-based lubricant for dyspareunia; and (9) a treatment plan for ongoing physical and mental health conditions which identifies the care team member responsible for follow-up. The health care professional shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the patient is offered the opportunity to participate in a postpartum planning session during the first trimester of pregnancy or, if holding the session during the first trimester is not feasible, at the earliest time thereafter. At a minimum, each plan shall include the designation of a medical home where the patient may access care and support during the period between the end of the pregnancy and the comprehensive postpartum visit. If the patient does not have a plan in place or affirmatively waives their right to develop a plan, the health care professional shall educate the patient about the risks of foregoing adequate postpartum care and offer to consult with the patient to develop a plan. b. Each general hospital, ambulatory care facility, and birthing center licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) that provides maternity care services shall ensure that, prior to discharge following the end of a pregnancy, pregnancy loss, or stillbirth, each patient receiving maternity care services is provided with postpartum care information based on best practices and guidance, as determined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or other nationally recognized bodies. c. As used in this section: "Care team" means an interdisciplinary team comprised of health care professionals, the patient, and the patient's relatives and friends. Members of the care team may vary depending on a patient's needs. "Medical home" means as a primary care provider or facility from which a patient can access primary and preventive care that maintains all of the patient's medical information. L.2024, c.89, s.2.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026

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