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GA SB546
Bill
Status
Introduced
2/21/2024
Primary Sponsor
Donzella James
Click for details
AI Summary
- Repeals existing midwifery provisions under Title 31 (Health) and establishes the "Certified Community Midwifery Act" under Title 43 (Professions and Businesses), creating a new licensure and regulatory framework for certified community midwives (CCMs)
- Creates a 5-member Certified Community Midwife Board, appointed by the Governor, consisting of 4 certified community midwives and 1 public member, with members serving 2-year terms
- Requires licensure applicants to hold a CCM credential or equivalent certification, complete 3 years of apprenticeship (including doula or lactation community health worker training), hold current adult and infant CPR certification, pass a criminal background check, and complete approved pharmacology, anatomy/physiology, and birth emergency courses
- Limits CCM practice to low-risk, out-of-hospital pregnancies and deliveries between 37 and 43 weeks of gestation, and authorizes CCMs to administer specific medications (oxytocin, oxygen, Vitamin K, Rho(D) immune globulin, local anesthetics) while prohibiting surgical deliveries, epidurals, forceps, vacuum extractors, and narcotic analgesia
- Requires CCMs to obtain detailed written informed consent from clients, mandates consultation or transfer of care to licensed healthcare providers when conditions exceed low-risk parameters, and subjects unlicensed practice to misdemeanor penalties with fines of $100 to $500 per violation for licensed practitioners who violate board rules
Legislative Description
Health; the practice of midwifery; repeal provisions
Last Action
Senate Read and Referred
2/22/2024
Committee Referrals
Regulated Industries and Utilities2/22/2024
Full Bill Text
No bill text available