Bill > HB2598

This bill requires the Tennessee Commissioner of Health to conduct a study, using existing resources, to examine how other states grant practice independence to certified nurse midwives (CNMs), who are registered nurses with advanced training in midwifery. The study will investigate how this independence relates to maternal health outcomes, including rates of maternal illness and death, and will look at policies and data from a variety of states, considering factors like areas with limited access to maternity care (maternity care deserts), shortages of healthcare providers, hospital closures, and recent policy changes aimed at increasing CNM autonomy. The Commissioner must then compile these findings and any recommendations into a report and submit it to the General Assembly by December 31, 2026, with the report potentially being transmitted electronically.