Bill Text: NJ SR121 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Encourages DOH to develop set of standards for respectful care at birth and to conduct public outreach initiative.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-05-30 - Filed with Secretary of State [SR121 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-SR121-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

SENATE RESOLUTION No. 121

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 24, 2019

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex)

Senator  LORETTA WEINBERG

District 37 (Bergen)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Encourages DOH to develop set of standards for respectful care at birth and to conduct public outreach initiative.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on March 4, 2019, with amendments.

 

A Senate Resolution encouraging the Department of Health to develop a set of standards for respectful care at birth and to conduct a public outreach initiative.

 

Whereas, One measure of a society's development is its ability to protect mothers and babies in childbirth, yet the United States ranks amongst the worst nations in the world in the number of women who die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes each year; and

Whereas, Maternal mortality is of particular concern in New Jersey, where the maternal mortality rate ranks fifth highest in the country, according to the 2018 edition of United Health Foundation's "America's Health Rankings"; and 

Whereas, The New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) is encouraged to take a meaningful step in improving maternal health outcomes and women's experiences at childbirth by developing a set of standards for respectful care at birth, which recognizes women's self-worth, feelings, choices, and preferences in their maternal health care; and 

Whereas, New York City can serve as a model for the DOH's efforts in crafting standards for respectful care, as the city has implemented its Standards for Respectful Care at Birth, which detail health protections for pregnant women during and after childbirth; and 

Whereas, New York City's standards assert that a safe birthing experience is a human right and focus on six areas of respectful care, namely education, informed consent, decision making, quality of care, support and dignity, and non-discrimination; and 

Whereas, The DOH is encouraged to engage in a public outreach initiative to promote these standards to women across the State and to urge maternity care providers and community-based organizations to integrate the new standards into their routine clinical care and community engagement; and

Whereas, In conducting its outreach, New York City distributed posters outlining its standards to all 38 city maternity hospitals and other clinical providers, along with more than 100 community-based organizations; and

Whereas, Implementing these standards and conducting Statewide public outreach will not only support women in becoming more active decision-makers in their birthing experience, but will also help providers in respecting and being more aware of their patients' rights and preferences during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth; and 

Whereas, Furthermore, a set of standards for respectful care at birth would help to reduce the stark racial gap that exists in maternal health outcomes, which particularly affects women of color; and

Whereas, Statistics show that black infants in New Jersey are nearly 50 percent more likely to be born underweight than white infants and that, in 2013, the pregnancy-related maternal death rate for white women in New Jersey was 12.8 deaths per 100,000 births compared to 46.5 deaths per 100,000 births for black women; and

Whereas, Integrating these standards into maternal health care will help foster an environment where women feel empowered to assert their rights and preferences in childbirth and where providers and patients work collaboratively to make decisions; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    This House respectfully encourages the Department of Health to develop a set of standards for respectful care at birth, modeled after the Standards for Respectful Care at Birth implemented in New York City, and to conduct a public outreach initiative ¹[for promoting] to promote¹ the standards to women and ¹[integrating] to integrate¹ the standards into routine clinical care and community engagement.

 

     2.    Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Commissioner of ¹[the Department of]¹ Health.