Bill Text: NJ S495 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes Maternal Mortality Review Committee to annually review and report on rates and causes of maternal mortality and morbidity in New Jersey, and to recommend improvements in maternal care.*
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-21 - Substituted by A1862 (3R) [S495 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S495-Amended.html
SENATE, No. 495
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes Maternal Mortality Review Commission to annually review and report on rates and causes of maternal death in New Jersey, and to recommend improvements in maternal care.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on February 15, 2018, with amendments.
An Act concerning maternal deaths, supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes, and amending R.S.26:8-24.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
11. (New section) 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% 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 more than three times the rate that exists in the United Kingdom, and about eight 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 informally out of the Department of Health (DOH), and which periodically reviews and provides statistics on maternal deaths occurring in the State.
d. According to the DOH Maternal Mortality Case Review Team's latest report, which covers the period from 2009 to 2013, New Jersey ranks 35th of the 50 states in pregnancy-related deaths; however, it is important to note that pregnancy-related deaths make up only a single subset of the total maternal deaths that have occurred in the State, and a document produced by Every Mother Counts shows that New Jersey is ranked 47th of the 50 states in total maternal mortality, with a rate of 37.3 maternal deaths per every 100,000 live births;
e. While 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 amalgamation and comparison of data by interested parties more difficult;
f. United States Senate Bill No. 1112, introduced in the 115th Congress, would establish a federal grant program to assist states in establishing and sustaining state-level maternal mortality review committees; however, a state will only be eligible to obtain a grant under this bill if the state's maternal mortality review committee satisfies certain specific requirements, as articulated in S.1112;
g. In order to ensure that the entity reviewing maternal deaths in the State is operating on a permanent basis, with full statutory authority, in adherence to certain specified powers and responsibilities, and in a manner that would enable the State to obtain federal grant funds under S.1112 or other similar federal legislation, 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 Commission, situated in the Department of Health, which commission 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.1
1[1.] 2.1 (New section) As used in this act:
"Commission" means the Maternal Mortality Review Commission, established pursuant to section 1[2] 31 of this act, 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.
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Health.
"Department" means the Department of Health.
"Maternal death" means a pregnancy-associated death, or a pregnancy-related death.
1"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 commission established pursuant to this act.1
"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.
"Report of maternal death" means a report of actual or perceived maternal death, which is filed with the department, pursuant to the processes established under subsection a. of section 1[5] 61 of this act, and which is to be forwarded to the commission 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.
1[2.] 3.1 (New section) a. There is hereby established, in the Department of Health, the Maternal Mortality Review Commission, 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 adverse outcomes related to, or associated with, pregnancy. 1The commission shall replace and supersede the Maternal Mortality Case Review Team that is currently constituted in the department.1 The commission shall be composed of 1[31] 381 members, including 1[18] 251 ex officio members or their designees, as provided in subsection b. of this section, and 13 public members, as provided in subsection c. of this section.
b. The ex officio members of the commission shall include the following persons, or their designees:
(1) the State registrar;
(2) the State Medical Examiner;
(3) the Director of the Division of Family Health Services in the Department of Health;
(4) the Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Health;
(5) the Director of the Office of Minority and Multicultural Health in the Department of Health;
(6) the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services;
(7) the President of the New Jersey Hospital Association;
(8) the President of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute;
(9) the Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Society of New Jersey;
(10) the Executive Director of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers;
(11) the Chair of the New Jersey section of the American 1[Congress] College1 of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 1(ACOG)1;
(12) the President of the New Jersey Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives;
(13) 1the Chair of the New Jersey Section of the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN);
(14) the President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians;
(15) the President of the New Jersey Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons;
(16) the President of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians;
(17) the President of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics;
(18) the President of the New Jersey Health Officers Association;
(19) the President of the New Jersey Primary Care Association;
(20)1 the Executive Director of the Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey;
1[(14)] (21)1 the Chief Executive Officer of the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium;
1[(15)] (22)1 the Executive Director of the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative;
1[(16)] (23)1 the Director of the City of Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness;
1[(17)] (24)1 the Director of the City of Trenton Health and Human Services Department; and
1[(18)] (25)1 the Director of the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services.
c. The public members of the commission shall be appointed by the Governor, and shall include:
(1) five 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 family planning, one of whom specializes in critical care medicine, and one of whom specializes in perinatal pathology;
(2) one licensed and practicing health care practitioner, mental health care practitioner, or substance use disorder treatment professional who specializes in perinatal addiction;
(3) one certified nurse midwife;
(4) one registered professional nurse or advanced practice nurse who specializes in hospital-based obstetric nursing;
(5) one licensed practical nurse, registered professional nurse, or advanced practice nurse who participates in, and represents, the Nurse-Family Partnership operating in New Jersey;
(6) one health care administrator who has experience in overseeing the operations of maternity wards or birthing centers;
(7) one private citizen who is engaged in maternal health advocacy;
(8) one private citizen who is engaged in minority health advocacy; and
(9) one private citizen who is engaged in patient advocacy.
d. Of the public members appointed to the commission, not more than seven shall be of the same political party.
e. Each public member of the commission 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 commission 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 commission shall be made within 60 days after the effective date of this act. 1Upon the appointment of a majority of the commission 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.1
g. Any member of the commission may be removed by the Governor, for cause, after a public hearing.
1[3.] 4.1 (New section) a. The commission 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 commission.
b. The commission 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 commission meet less than 1[four] two1 times a year.
c. A majority of the total number of members appointed to the commission shall constitute a quorum for the conducting of official commission business. A vacancy in the membership of the commission shall not impair the right of the commission to exercise its powers and duties, provided that a majority of the currently appointed members are available to conduct business. Any recommendations of the commission shall be approved by a majority of the members present.
d. The members of the commission 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 provide such administrative staff support to the commission as
shall be necessary for the commission to carry out its duties.
1[4.] 5.1 (New section) a. The Maternal Mortality Review Commission 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 commission's authorized purposes, or that are made available to assist the commission 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 commission;
(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 commission'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 commission'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 Commission shall have the duty and responsibility to:
(1) develop mandatory and voluntary maternal death reporting processes, in accordance with the provisions of section 5 of this act;
(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 1[6] 71 of this act;
(3) review the statistical data on maternal deaths that is forwarded by the State registrar, pursuant to section 1[10] 111 of this act, and the reports of maternal death that are forwarded by the department, pursuant to subsection b. of section 1[5] 61 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
(5) annually report its findings and recommendations on maternal mortality to the department, the Governor, and the Legislature, in accordance with section 1[7] 81 of this act.
1[5.] 6.1 (New section) a. Within 90 days after the commission's organizational meeting, the commission 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 1. In developing a mandatory maternal death reporting process pursuant to this paragraph, the commission 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 act1; 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 commission 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 commission, so that the commission may properly execute its investigatory functions and other duties and responsibilities under this act.
1[6.] 7.1 (New section) a. Upon receipt of a report of maternal death, which has been forwarded to the commission pursuant to subsection b. of section 1[5] 61 of this act, the commission shall investigate the reported case in accordance with the provisions of this section. In conducting the investigation, the commission 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 1and other hospital records from the one-year period following the end of the pregnancy1;
(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 commission shall prepare a case summary, which shall include the commission'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 1[personally]1 identifying information of the deceased woman and her family members 1, the health care providers who provided care, and the hospitals where care was provided1.
c. The commission 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.
1[d. In addition to investigating reports of maternal death, as provided by this section, the Maternal Mortality Review Commission may additionally elect to investigate alleged cases of severe maternal morbidity, using data and information obtained through patient registries, or the oral or written interviews of pregnant women and their families.]1
1[7.] 8.1 (New section) a. Within one year after its organization, and annually thereafter, the commission 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 commission'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 1racial and other1 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 commission'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 commission over the preceding year, pursuant to subsection b. of section 1[6] 71 of this act;
(2) the statistical data that was forwarded to the commission, during the preceding year, by the State registrar, pursuant to section 1[10] 111 of this act; and
(3) any other relevant information, including 1information from the commission's prior annual reports, or1 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 commission outreach authorized by subsection c. of section 1[6] 71, or by paragraph (9) of subsection a. of section 1[4] 51, of this act.
c. Upon receipt of the commission'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 commission'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.
1[8.] 9.1 (New section) a. Upon receipt of the commission's first annual report, issued pursuant to section 1[7] 81 of this act, the department, working in consultation with the commission, 1[as well as with] the Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the Maternal Child Health Consortia, and other1 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 commission's first report. However, once the educational program is established, the department shall, on at least 1[a biennial] an annual1 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 commission, as reflected in the commission's most recent annual report.
b. 1[Each of the State's professional licensing boards, as appropriate, shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), which are applicable to the health care practitioners under each board's respective jurisdiction, and which require the practitioners involved in the provision of care to pregnant women to satisfactorily complete the educational program established pursuant to this section. Each licensing board shall require the relevant practitioners under its jurisdiction to complete this educational program as a condition of initial licensure, or, in the case of practitioners who are already licensed as of the effective date of this act, within 180 days after the program is established under this section; and shall additionally require practitioners to complete the program on at least a biennial basis thereafter, as a condition of license renewal.] 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.1
1[9.] 10.1 (New section) a. (1) Except as otherwise provided by subsection b. of this section, all proceedings and activities of the Maternal Mortality Review Commission; all opinions of the members of the commission, which are formed as a result of the commission's proceedings and activities; and all records obtained, created, or maintained by the commission, 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 commission 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 1[6] 71 of this act, or in an annual report that is prepared pursuant to section 1[7] 81 of this act.
(3) Members of the commission 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 commission; however, nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a commission 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 commission.
b. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the commission from publishing, or from otherwise making available for public inspection, 1[case summaries,]1 statistical compilations, or reports that are based on confidential information, provided that those 1[summaries,]1 compilations 1[,]1 and reports do not contain personally identifying information or other information that could be used to ultimately identify the individuals concerned.
1[10.] 11.1 (New section) a. (1) On an annual basis, and using the death records that have been filed during the preceding year, the State registrar shall 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; 1[and]1 (e) the areas of the State where the rates of maternal death are significantly higher than the Statewide average 1; and (f) the rate of racial disparities in maternal deaths occurring on a Statewide and regional basis1 .
(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 Office of Vital Statistics and Registry, in the Department of Health, and shall also be promptly forwarded to the commission.
b. In order to accomplish its duties under this section, the State registrar 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 State registrar may also use any other appropriate means or methods to identify maternal deaths 1[, including, but not limited to, reviewing a random sample of reported deaths to ascertain cases of pregnancy-related death and pregnancy-associated death that are not discernable from a review of death records alone] . 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 Prevention1.
1[11.] 12.1 R.S.26:8-24 is amended to read as follows:
26:8-24. The State registrar shall:
a. Have general supervision throughout the State of the registration of vital records;
b. Have supervisory power over local registrars, deputy local registrars, alternate deputy local registrars, and subregistrars, in the enforcement of the law relative to the disposal of dead bodies and the registration of vital records;
c. Prepare, print, and supply to all registrars, upon request therefor, all blanks and forms used in registering the records required by said law, and provide for and prescribe the use of the NJ-EDRS. The blanks and forms supplied under this subsection, and any electronic blanks and forms that are used in the NJ-EDRS, shall require the person registering a birth or death record, at a minimum, to provide the same information as is required by the National Center for Vital Health Statistics in its standardized U.S. certificates of live birth, death, and fetal death. No [other] blanks, forms, or methods of registration shall be used, other than those that satisfy the requirements of this subsection, and which are supplied or approved by the State registrar;
d. Carefully examine the certificates or electronic files received periodically from the local registrars or originating from their jurisdiction; and, if any are incomplete or unsatisfactory, require such further information to be supplied as may be necessary to make the record complete and satisfactory;
e. Arrange or bind, and permanently preserve the certificates of vital records, or the information comprising those records, in a systematic manner and in a form that is deemed most consistent with contemporary and developing standards of vital statistical archival record keeping;
f. Prepare and maintain a comprehensive and continuous index of all vital records registered, the index to be arranged alphabetically:
1. In the case of deaths, by the name of the decedent;
2. In the case of births, by the name of child, if given, and if not, then by the name of father or mother;
3. In the case of marriages, by the surname of the husband and also by the maiden name of the wife;
4. In the case of civil unions, by the surname of each of the parties to the civil union;
5. In the case of domestic partnerships, by the surname of each of the partners;
g. Mark the birth certificate of a missing child when notified by the Missing Persons Unit in the Department of Law and Public Safety pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1995, c.395 (C.52:17B-9.8c);
h. Develop and provide to local registrars an education and training program, which the State registrar may require each local registrar to complete as a condition of retaining that position, and which may be offered to deputy local registrars, alternate deputy local registrars and subregistrars at the discretion of the State registrar, that includes material designed to implement the NJ-EDRS and to familiarize local registrars with the statutory requirements applicable to their duties and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, as deemed appropriate by the State registrar; [and]
i. Facilitate the electronic notification, upon completion of the death record and issuance of a burial permit, of the decedent's name, Social Security number and last known address to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the Department of Human Services to safeguard public benefit programs and diminish the criminal use of a decedent's name and other identifying information; and
j. Facilitate the provision of relevant statistical data on maternal deaths to the Maternal Mortality Review Commission, in accordance with the provisions of section 1[10] 111 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this act).
(cf: P.L.2013, c.274, s.1)
1[12.] 13.1 This act shall take effect immediately.
