SB1033 - Licensure of Midwives

• Establishes a mandatory licensing program for midwives under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, effective July 1, 2020, requiring midwives to hold current certification as either a Certified Professional Midwife or Certified Midwife from national certifying bodies.

• Exempts certified nurse-midwives (licensed under chapter 457), licensed healthcare professionals acting within their scope of practice, student midwives under supervision, emergency aid providers, and birth attendants until July 1, 2023 who meet disclosure and record-keeping requirements.

• Allows licensed midwives to purchase and administer specified non-controlled legend drugs and devices for pregnancy, birth, postpartum care, and newborn care, including antibiotics, vitamin K, epinephrine, intravenous fluids, and local anesthetics.

• Exempts traditional Hawaiian healers practicing prenatal, maternal, and child care as recognized by Papa Ola Lokahi and protects family members providing care to relatives.

• Appropriates $146,000 for fiscal year 2019-2020 and $73,000 for fiscal year 2020-2021 for implementation; establishes a home birth task force to investigate direct entry midwives and home births, reporting to the legislature by 2020; and sets the licensing program for automatic repeal on June 30, 2025.