S 4185 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Provides certain employment protections for certified doulas.

This bill establishes employment protections in New Jersey for certified doulas who must leave work to attend births. It prohibits employers from firing, harassing, or discriminating against doulas who miss shifts due to active labor clients, provided the doula gives at least one hour's notice. While employers are not required to pay for this unpaid time off, doulas may use vacation or sick days to be compensated for their absence. If an employer violates these rules, the doula can sue for reinstatement, lost wages, and civil fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per violation.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced May 11, 2026 Last action May 11, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
May 11, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Labor Committee
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Angela McKnight
Angela McKnight
DDemocratic
NJ
31