Public Act No. 23-147 - Protecting Maternal Health

• Establishes licensing requirements for birth centers as freestanding facilities providing perinatal, labor, delivery and postpartum care for low-risk pregnancies, effective January 1, 2024; requires accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers and coordination agreements with hospitals for emergency transfers.

• Creates an infant mortality review program within the Department of Public Health to review infant death cases, identify health care disparities, and make recommendations to reduce infant deaths; establishes a multidisciplinary infant mortality review committee with representation from pediatricians, obstetricians, nurses, social workers and other health professionals.

• Establishes a Doula Advisory Committee to develop certification requirements and training standards for doulas; allows certified doula certification beginning October 1, 2023, with a $100 application fee and three-year renewal cycles.

• Directs the Commissioner of Public Health to establish a midwifery working group to study and make recommendations on direct entry midwives, certified midwives, and community birth options to address maternal and infant health disparities.

• Requires the Commissioner of Early Childhood to develop a statewide universal nurse home visiting program for all families with newborns to support parental health, child development and family strengthening, with voluntary participation and at least one visit during the first three months of life.