Assembly Bill 2007 requires certain health care providers in New Jersey to screen patients for intimate partner violence on a regular basis, either annually or at an interval recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, using nationally recognized evidence-based guidelines. The screening must be conducted privately, with only the provider and patient present unless the patient consents to another person being there, and it may be done in person, through telemedicine/telehealth, or by self-administered paper or electronic questionnaire. Providers must document the screening findings in the medical record, and with the patient’s consent may include related documentation.
If a screening indicates a patient is or may be a victim of intimate partner violence, the patient must be given, during the same visit, a list of available state and regional resources and services and referrals to appropriate health care professionals for further care. The bill also directs the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Health, in consultation with a domestic violence survivor support organization, to maintain and update a statewide and regional resource list for providers at least every two years. In addition, if the suspected perpetrator was previously authorized to receive copies of the patient’s medical record, the provider or other health care professional must advise the patient that the perpetrator may be removed from that authorization list going forward.
The bill would add these requirements to New Jersey law and supplement Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, while also interacting with existing health privacy practices under HIPAA and state medical-record authorization procedures. It applies to a broad set of licensed providers, including physicians, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, and certified midwives, and it requires the Commissioners of Children and Families and Health to adopt implementing regulations. The effective date is delayed until the first day of the fourth month after enactment, with permission for anticipatory administrative action.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears supportive, as reflected by its unanimous 8-0 vote in the Assembly Community Development and Women’s Affairs Committee and its advancement with amendments. The committee action suggests broad agreement with the bill’s goal of improving detection of intimate partner violence and protecting victims’ confidentiality. The amendments also indicate some refinement of the original approach, especially around documentation and patient consent.
The main point of contention appears to have been how far the bill should go in managing medical-record access. The original language would have required providers to reapprove the list of people authorized to receive copies of a patient’s medical record when intimate partner violence was suspected, but that language was removed. The revised bill instead takes a narrower approach by requiring providers to advise patients that they may remove an alleged perpetrator from the authorization list, which suggests a compromise between victim protection and existing privacy/authorization procedures.
The bill would create new statutory duties for specified health care providers to screen for intimate partner violence, document findings, and provide resources and referrals, while also requiring state agencies to maintain updated domestic violence resource lists. It would affect medical-record handling by requiring providers to warn patients that an alleged perpetrator previously authorized to access records may be removed from that authorization, thereby reinforcing patient privacy protections without directly mandating a full reauthorization process. The measure would also require rulemaking by the Departments of Children and Families and Health and would apply to providers across multiple licensed health professions.
The bill appears to have strong bipartisan or at least broad committee support, as shown by the 8-0 committee vote and its favorable report with amendments. The discussion history provided does not show recorded opposition, and the amended version suggests lawmakers were generally aligned on the need to improve intimate partner violence screening and victim protection. The amendments indicate a willingness to adjust the bill to better fit existing medical privacy frameworks.
The most notable issue was the handling of medical-record access when intimate partner violence is suspected. The original bill language would have required a patient to reapprove the list of people authorized to obtain medical records, which could have been seen as a stronger privacy safeguard but also a more intrusive administrative requirement. That provision was removed, and the bill now only requires providers to advise patients that they may remove the alleged perpetrator from the authorization list. This suggests concern about balancing victim protection, patient autonomy, and compliance with HIPAA and existing authorization rules.