This bill mandates that all hospitals providing inpatient maternity services and licensed birthing centers in New Jersey must offer lactation counseling and consultations to individuals who have given birth. Specifically, it requires that these facilities provide at least one in-person consultation with a lactation counselor or consultant before the individual's discharge, or an option for remote counseling if requested. The counseling must cover various aspects of breastfeeding, including education on its health impacts, support for breastfeeding goals, implementation of a lactation care plan, recommendations for assistive devices, and distribution of informational literature on breastfeeding.
Additionally, the bill stipulates that lactation consultants assigned to provide support during a hospital shift cannot be reassigned to non-lactation duties during that same shift. It defines the qualifications for lactation consultants and counselors, ensuring that they possess the necessary certifications and competencies to provide effective support. The Department of Health is tasked with adopting regulations to implement the provisions of this act, which will take effect six months after its enactment.