This bill mandates that general acute care hospitals and clinical laboratories in New Jersey implement cultural competency training programs for staff members who interact directly with patients and are responsible for collecting demographic data, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The Department of Health will identify an evidence-based training tool for these programs, which must cover topics such as terminology, the importance of data collection for patient health, and creating an inclusive environment. Staff members are required to complete this training and refresher courses biennially as deemed necessary by their respective institutions.

Additionally, the bill requires clinical laboratories to electronically record demographic information for patients presenting with non-electronic orders and to include this data in health care reports to governmental entities. The bill specifies the categories for race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, ensuring that electronic medical records systems are configured to require this information before saving patient data. Non-compliance by vendors of these systems may result in civil penalties. Importantly, the bill clarifies that patients are not compelled to disclose their demographic information.