Bill > S1156

This bill establishes a regulatory framework for certified professional midwives, defining them as independent practitioners certified by the North American Registry of Midwives for normal out-of-hospital births, distinct from certified nurse-midwives who are nurses with advanced training certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. It creates a Committee on Midwifery under the Board of Registration in Medicine to oversee licensing, which will include examining applicants, setting licensing and renewal requirements, issuing permits to apprentice midwives, investigating complaints, approving educational programs, and establishing standards for practice, including ethical conduct, record-keeping, peer review, and informed consent. Licensed midwives will be authorized to provide care during normal pregnancy, labor, and postpartum periods, conduct deliveries, and identify client needs, with specific provisions for obtaining informed consent, developing emergency plans, screening for normal pregnancies, ordering tests, and performing limited surgical procedures like episiotomies and laceration repairs. The bill also outlines qualifications for licensure, including age, education, criminal background checks, and practical experience, and allows for reciprocal licensing with other states. It further specifies that midwives can administer certain medications and treatments under specific conditions and mandates the filing of birth certificates, with penalties for practicing without a license. The bill also includes provisions for apprentice midwives to practice under supervision and offers protection from liability for healthcare providers and facilities responding to emergencies arising from midwifery care, excluding gross negligence or willful misconduct. Finally, it sets timelines for the committee to adopt regulations and begin issuing licenses, and allows individuals practicing midwifery before the act's effective date to continue until the licensing procedures are established.