NJ A924

Requires the Department of Health to develop a regionalized maternity care classification system categorizing facilities into five levels: accredited birthing centers, Level I basic, Level II specialty, Level III subspecialty maternity care hospitals, and Level IV regional perinatal health care centers

Establishes classification criteria based on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 2023 Obstetric Care Consensus, with each level authorized to provide progressively more complex care from low-risk pregnancies to critically ill pregnant patients

Mandates that maternity care facilities maintain patient transfer criteria, transfer agreements, and admission protocols between classification levels, and participate in the Maternal Data Center for quality improvement monitoring

Requires DOH to establish a multi-disciplinary team to study implementation, create a public awareness campaign about the system, and maintain an updated public list of all designated facilities on its website

Takes effect on the first day of the sixth month following enactment, with DOH authorized to take anticipatory administrative action for implementation