HB178 Summary

• Establishes a State Board of Midwifery consisting of seven members appointed by the Governor to license and regulate the practice of midwifery in Alabama.

• Requires licensed midwives to hold a valid Certified Professional Midwife credential from the North American Registry of Midwives and sets licensure requirements including citizenship, age 21 minimum, and educational credentials.

• Mandates that licensed midwives provide clients with written informed consent forms disclosing the midwife's qualifications, services, rules, insurance coverage, and emergency care procedures prior to service delivery.

• Grants licensed midwives authority to file birth certificates, order routine laboratory analyses, and practice independently without requiring agreement with other healthcare providers or client approval by physicians.

• Provides civil liability protection for physicians, nurses, and hospitals who provide emergency care to midwife clients and establishes a Class C misdemeanor penalty for practicing midwifery without a license.