This bill mandates that all general and special hospitals in New Jersey establish and implement evidence-based protocols for the early recognition and treatment of sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. The protocols must be based on accepted standards of care and include specific components for both adult and pediatric patients, detailing the differences in treatment approaches. Hospitals are required to develop processes for screening and identifying patients suitable for treatment, as well as guidelines for treatment methodologies and infection source identification. Additionally, hospitals must ensure that all relevant staff receive periodic training on these protocols and submit their proposed protocols to the Department of Health for review within 120 days of the bill's enactment.

Furthermore, hospitals are tasked with collecting quality measures related to sepsis treatment for internal improvement and must report data to the Department of Health to assist in developing risk-adjusted mortality rates for sepsis cases. The bill allows hospitals to revise their protocols based on new evidence and requires resubmission for review every two years, unless specific performance concerns arise. The Commissioner of Health is authorized to create necessary regulations to implement the act, which will take effect four months after enactment, with provisions for anticipatory administrative actions.