NC S543

Establishes the Certified Professional Midwives licensing act in North Carolina, effective January 1, 2016, requiring midwives to obtain licensure from a newly created North Carolina Council of Certified Professional Midwives.

Creates a seven-member Council composed of four certified professional midwives, one licensed physician knowledgeable in midwifery care, one home birth consumer, and one certified nurse midwife who practices home birth, with staggered four-year terms.

Requires applicants for CPM licensure to hold current certification from the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), maintain current CPR and neonatal resuscitation certifications, and as of December 31, 2018, graduate from an accredited or Council-approved midwifery program.

Grants licensed midwives the authority to provide prenatal, labor, and postpartum care for healthy women in the setting of the mother's choice, including home births, with requirements for informed consent, emergency planning, and birth certificate documentation.

Allows licensed midwives to receive third-party insurance reimbursement and shields health care providers from vicarious liability for acts or omissions by licensed midwives, while exempting certified nurse midwives, physicians, and emergency childbirth assistance from the licensing requirements.