HF 1324 Summary

• Establishes licensure of certified midwives by the Minnesota Board of Nursing under new chapter 148G (Minnesota Certified Midwife Practice Act).

• Requires certified midwife applicants to hold current national certification from American Midwifery Certification Board, complete accredited graduate-level midwifery program with three core courses (physiology/pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, advanced pharmacology), and have no encumbered credentials.

• Authorizes certified midwives to diagnose, prescribe, and treat women's primary health care including pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, gynecological care, and family planning; order and perform diagnostic studies and therapies; and prescribe pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic agents.

• Establishes disciplinary grounds and penalties including denial, revocation, suspension, or limitation of licenses; civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation; automatic revocation for felony-level criminal sexual offense convictions; and criminal penalties (gross misdemeanor) for unlicensed practice.

• Provides for medical assistance coverage of certified midwifery practice services and amends related statutes to include licensed certified midwives as practitioners authorized to prescribe controlled substances and perform midwifery functions.