This bill establishes a three-year Obstetric Discrimination Prevention and Mitigation Pilot Program within the New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) to address obstetric discrimination in maternity care. The program will utilize a perinatal quality improvement measurement tool and will involve selected maternity care hospitals and licensed birthing centers. The Commissioner of Health will choose these facilities, which will focus on recognizing obstetric discrimination as an adverse event, particularly its impact on Black mothers' birthing experiences. All participating staff will be required to complete training on obstetric discrimination and the measurement tool.

The funding for the pilot program will come from the State Medicaid program, employing a value-based payment system to cover training and patient recruitment costs. The bill mandates the DOH to submit a report four years after the program's initiation, evaluating its effectiveness in reducing adverse pregnancy-related experiences and outcomes linked to obstetric discrimination, along with recommendations for further legislative or regulatory actions. The program aims to enhance the quality of care and safety for Black mothers during childbirth by selecting at least one maternity care hospital or birthing center from each of the northern, central, and southern regions of the state, with the selection process involving consultation with a content expert from the Department of Human Services (DHS).