New bill would require New Jersey hospitals, birthing centers to allow doulas

A new bill unveiled Monday would require hospitals and birthing centers to allow doulas to accompany mothers before, during, and after childbirth.

The legislation was announced at University Hospital in Newark at an event headlined by First Lady Tammy Murphy, state Sen. Renee Burgess (D-Essex), and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union). Murphy and the two lawmakers highlighted the importance of doulas, particularly to Black and Latino families. 

“Every woman deserves a positive, safe, and secure childbirth experience by having the knowledge and support of what resources are available to make that possible, no matter what your zip code is,” Burgess said. 

Under the measure, hospitals and birthing centers would be required to adopt policies allowing for the presence of doulas in their facilities and would be mandated to tell maternity health providers and patients about those policies in writing. 

Each hospital and birthing center would also be required to have a staff member who serves as a liaison between the facility and doulas.

The bill is sponsored by a group of Democratic women lawmakers: Assemblywomen Shanique Speight, Mila Jasey, and Quijano; and Sens. Teresa Ruiz, Nellie Pou, and Burgess. The bill will need to be heard in each chamber’s health committee to advance.

As first lady, Murphy has advocated for reducing racial disparities in maternal mortality. She helped launch the Nurture NJ program, which called on state health officials to improve access to safe prenatal, labor, delivery, and postpartum care.

Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A new March of Dimes report gives New Jersey a C+ for its rate of babies born preterm — 9.3% in 2022, higher than in 2021. The preterm rate for Black babies is one and a half times higher than the rate among all babies, the report says.

The Journal of the American Medical Association in July released a report saying the rate of New Jersey Black women dying while pregnant, during delivery, or one year after birth doubled from 1999 to 2019.

Murphy said New Jersey has been improving in this area. 

“I know we have a lot more work to do, but we are moving the needle in the right direction. With our collective and persistent commitment, we will root out the institutional racism that has affected every corner of society all the way, sadly, to our mothers,” Murphy said.  

Monday announced last week she is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, a move that could potentially pit her against Sen. Bob Menendez as he faces federal corruption charges. Rep. Andy Kim (D-03) and activist Larry Hamm have also said they plan to run to succeed Menendez.

After Monday’s event, Murphy dismissed concerns that she is using her platform as first lady to boost her campaign, noting that she has been holding events about maternal health for more than six years.

“I’m sure you’ll see me doing a lot more because if you know anything about me, I’m passionate about this space,” she said.