CA SB65

Establishes the California Pregnancy-Associated Review Committee under the State Department of Public Health, effective August 1, 2022, to review and report on all pregnancy-related deaths and severe maternal morbidity with at least 13 multidisciplinary members including obstetricians, midwives, doulas, and community advocates.

Requires counties to report infant deaths annually to local health departments and establishes Fetal and Infant Mortality Review committees in counties with five or more infant deaths per year and higher-than-state death rates for two consecutive years to investigate at least 20 percent of eligible cases.

Creates the Midwifery Workforce Training Act, effective January 1, 2022, authorizing the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to contract with certified nurse-midwife and licensed midwife training programs that serve medically underserved communities, lower socioeconomic neighborhoods, or rural areas, subject to legislative appropriation.

Amends CalWORKs requirements to exempt any pregnant recipient from mandatory welfare-to-work participation without requiring medical verification or county determination, allowing voluntary participation instead.

Requires the Department of Health Care Services to convene a workgroup by April 1, 2022, examining Medi-Cal doula benefit implementation and publish a report by July 1, 2024, detailing recipient utilization, access barriers, and birthing outcomes comparisons.