Bill Text: NY A04819 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Establishes the professional practice of community midwifery; defines as the management in the home, birth center, or community setting, of normal pregnancies, child birth, and postpartum care, including newborn evaluation, resuscitation and referral for infants; sets requirements for license and practice.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 41-5)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to higher education [A04819 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A04819-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         4819--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 23, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. PAULIN, SIMON, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, EPSTEIN, FORREST,
          WOERNER, THIELE, MAMDANI, DICKENS,  MANKTELOW,  STIRPE,  L. ROSENTHAL,
          McMAHON,  CRUZ,  KELLES,  LUPARDO,  COOK,  BICHOTTE HERMELYN, GUNTHER,
          CARROLL, JEAN-PIERRE, JACKSON, ZINERMAN,  MITAYNES,  LUNSFORD,  CLARK,
          FAHY, REYES, MEEKS, HEVESI, SEAWRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
          Committee  on  Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended,
          ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the education law and the public health law, in relation
          to the practice of certified professional midwifery

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new article 140-A
     2  to read as follows:
     3                                ARTICLE 140-A
     4                      CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL MIDWIFERY
     5  Section 6960. Introduction.
     6          6961. Definition of practice of certified  professional  midwif-
     7                  ery.
     8          6962. Practice of certified professional midwifery.
     9          6963. Use of title "certified professional midwife".
    10          6964. Requirements for a professional license.
    11          6965. Exempt persons.
    12    § 6960. Introduction. This article applies to the profession of certi-
    13  fied professional midwifery.  The general provisions for all professions
    14  contained  in  article  one  hundred  thirty of this title apply to this
    15  article.
    16    § 6961. Definition of practice of certified professional midwifery. 1.
    17  The practice of the profession of certified  professional  midwifery  is
    18  defined  as  the  management  in  the  home,  birth center, or community
    19  setting, of normal pregnancies, child birth, and  postpartum  care,  and
    20  shall   include  newborn  evaluation,  resuscitation  and  referral  for

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00632-02-3

        A. 4819--A                          2

     1  infants.   A certified professional midwife  may  also  provide  precon-
     2  ception  care  as  defined by the commissioner. A certified professional
     3  midwife shall have collaborative relationships with (a) a physician  who
     4  is  board certified as an obstetrician-gynecologist by a national certi-
     5  fying body or (b) a physician who practices obstetrics and has obstetric
     6  privileges at a general hospital licensed under article twenty-eight  of
     7  the  public health law or (c) a hospital, licensed under article twenty-
     8  eight of the public health  law,  that  provides  obstetrics  through  a
     9  physician  having  obstetrical  privileges  at  such  institution,  that
    10  provide for  consultation,  collaborative  management  and  referral  to
    11  address  the  health  status  and  risks  of  the certified professional
    12  midwife's patients and that include plans for emergency medical  gyneco-
    13  logical and obstetrical coverage. A certified professional midwife shall
    14  maintain documentation of the collaborative relationships and shall make
    15  information  about  the  collaborative  relationships  available  to the
    16  certified professional midwife's patients. Failure to  comply  with  the
    17  requirements  found in this subdivision shall be subject to professional
    18  misconduct provisions as set forth in article one hundred thirty of this
    19  title.
    20    2. A certified professional  midwife  shall  have  the  authority,  as
    21  necessary, and limited to the practice of certified professional midwif-
    22  ery,  to  prescribe  and administer drugs, immunizing agents, diagnostic
    23  tests and devices, and to order laboratory  tests,  as  established  and
    24  limited  by the board of midwifery in accordance with the commissioner's
    25  regulations. A certified professional midwife shall obtain a certificate
    26  from the department upon successfully completing a program  including  a
    27  pharmacology component, or its equivalent, as established by the commis-
    28  sioner's regulations prior to prescribing under this section.
    29    3.  Any  reference  to  certified professional midwifery, or certified
    30  professional midwife, under the provisions of this article, this chapter
    31  or any other law, shall refer to and include the profession of certified
    32  professional midwifery and a certified professional midwife, unless  the
    33  context clearly requires otherwise.
    34    §  6962.  Practice  of certified professional midwifery. Only a person
    35  licensed or exempt under this article or authorized by any other section
    36  of law shall practice certified professional midwifery.
    37    § 6963. Use of title "certified professional midwife". Only  a  person
    38  licensed  or  exempt  under  this article shall use the title "certified
    39  professional midwife" in  connection  with  the  practice  of  certified
    40  professional  midwifery  in  the  state,  provided,  however,  a  person
    41  licensed under article one hundred forty  of  this  title  and  who  has
    42  obtained  the  credentials pursuant to subdivision two of section sixty-
    43  nine hundred sixty-four of this article may also use the  title  "certi-
    44  fied professional midwife".
    45    §  6964.  Requirements  for  a  professional license. To qualify for a
    46  license as a certified professional midwife, an applicant shall  fulfill
    47  the following requirements:
    48    1. Application: file an application with the department.
    49    2. Education: achieve and maintain the credential of certified profes-
    50  sional  midwife  from  a  national  certifying  body specializing in the
    51  certification of certified professional midwives  and  approved  by  the
    52  commissioner and  satisfactorily:
    53    (a)  complete  an  accredited  educational program for the practice of
    54  certified professional midwifery in accordance with  the  commissioner's
    55  regulations; or

        A. 4819--A                          3

     1    (b)  if  an  applicant  receives  a  certified  professional midwifery
     2  certification within twenty-four months of the effective  date  of  this
     3  article   through  another  educational  pathway,  or  if  certification
     4  includes current licensing from another state or country  not  requiring
     5  accredited  education,  complete  the  Midwifery  Bridge  Certificate in
     6  accordance with the commissioner's regulations.
     7    3. Examination: pass an examination satisfactory to the department and
     8  in accordance with the commissioner's regulations.
     9    4. Age: be at least twenty-one years of age.
    10    5. Character: be of good moral character as determined by the  depart-
    11  ment.
    12    6.  Fee:  pay  a  fee  of  one  hundred fifteen dollars for an initial
    13  license and a fee of one hundred dollars for each triennial registration
    14  period.
    15    § 6965. Exempt persons. Nothing in  this  article  shall  (a)  affect,
    16  prevent,  expand,  or  limit  any duty or responsibility of a physician,
    17  midwife, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner, acting  within  the
    18  professional's scope of practice, from practicing certified professional
    19  midwifery;  or  (b)  affect  or  prevent  a  medical  student, midwifery
    20  student, certified professional midwifery student,  physician  assistant
    21  student,  or  nurse practitioner student from engaging in clinical prac-
    22  tice in an educational program registered by the department,  under  the
    23  supervision  of a physician or board certified obstetrician/gynecologist
    24  or midwife, physician assistant, or nurse  practitioner,  acting  within
    25  the professional's scope of practice.
    26    § 2. Section 6953 of the education law, as added by chapter 327 of the
    27  laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
    28    § 6953. Use of title "midwife". Only a person licensed or exempt under
    29  this  article  shall  use  the title "midwife".   Only a person licensed
    30  under both this article and article  one  hundred  thirty-nine  of  this
    31  [chapter]  title  may  use  the  title  "nurse-midwife".   Only a person
    32  authorized to use the title "certified professional midwife" under arti-
    33  cle one hundred forty-A of this chapter may  use  the  title  "certified
    34  professional midwife".
    35    § 3. Section 6954 of the education law, as added by chapter 327 of the
    36  laws  of  1992, paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 328
    37  of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
    38    § 6954. State board of midwifery.   1. The state  board  of  midwifery
    39  shall  be  appointed  by  the  board of regents on recommendation of the
    40  commissioner for the purpose  of  assisting  the  board  of  regents  on
    41  matters of professional licensing and professional conduct in accordance
    42  with  section sixty-five hundred eight of this title. The board shall be
    43  composed of [thirteen] eleven individuals. Initial appointments  to  the
    44  board  shall  be  such  that  the  terms shall be staggered. However, no
    45  members shall serve more than two terms.  However, a vacant seat on  the
    46  board  designated  for  an individual licensed to practice under article
    47  one hundred forty-A of this title shall not be counted for purposes of a
    48  quorum until it has been initially filled.
    49    2. (a) [(1) Seven] Five members of the board shall be persons licensed
    50  [or exempt] under this [section] article.
    51    [(2)] (b) One member of the board shall be an educator of midwifery.
    52    [(b)] (c) Two members of the board shall  be  persons  licensed  under
    53  article one hundred forty-A of this title.
    54    [Two  members]  (d)  One member of the board shall be [individuals who
    55  are] a  licensed  [physicians  who  are  also]  physician  certified  as
    56  obstetrician/gynecologists  by  a  national  certifying  body who demon-

        A. 4819--A                          4

     1  strates collaboration with persons licensed under articles  one  hundred
     2  forty and one hundred forty-A of this title.
     3    [(c)] (e) One member of the board shall be an individual licensed as a
     4  physician who practices family medicine including obstetrics.
     5    [(d)  One  member  of  the  board shall be an individual licensed as a
     6  physician who practices pediatrics.
     7    (e)] (f) One member of the board shall be an individual not possessing
     8  either licensure or training in  medicine,  midwifery,  pharmacology  or
     9  nursing and shall represent the public at large.
    10    3.  For  purposes  of  this  article, "board" means the state board of
    11  midwifery created under this section unless the  context  clearly  indi-
    12  cates otherwise.
    13    § 4. The article heading of article 140 of the education law, as added
    14  by chapter 327 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:

    15                   [PROFESSIONAL] MIDWIFERY [PRACTICE ACT]

    16    § 5. Subdivision 6 of section 571 of the public health law, as amended
    17  by chapter 444 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
    18    6.  "Qualified  health  care professional" means a physician, dentist,
    19  podiatrist, optometrist performing a clinical laboratory test that  does
    20  not  use  an invasive modality as defined in section seventy-one hundred
    21  one of the education law,  physician  assistant,  specialist  assistant,
    22  nurse practitioner, [or] midwife, or certified professional midwife, who
    23  is licensed and registered with the state education department.
    24    § 6. Subdivision 6 of section 571 of the public health law, as amended
    25  by  section 1 of part C of chapter 57 of the laws of 2022, is amended to
    26  read as follows:
    27    6. "Qualified health care professional" means  a  physician,  dentist,
    28  podiatrist,  optometrist performing a clinical laboratory test that does
    29  not use an invasive modality as defined in section  seventy-one  hundred
    30  one of the education law, pharmacist administering COVID-19 and influen-
    31  za  tests  pursuant  to subdivision seven of section sixty-eight hundred
    32  one of the education law,  physician  assistant,  specialist  assistant,
    33  nurse practitioner, [or] midwife, or certified professional midwife, who
    34  is licensed and registered with the state education department.
    35    §  7.  This  act shall take effect eighteen months after it shall have
    36  become a law, provided however that the amendments to subdivision  6  of
    37  section  571  of  the  public health law made by section six of this act
    38  shall be subject to the expiration and  reversion  of  such  subdivision
    39  pursuant  to  section  8 of part C of chapter 57 of the laws of 2022, as
    40  amended, when upon such date the provisions of section five of this  act
    41  shall  take effect. Effective immediately, the commissioner of education
    42  shall make regulations and take other actions  reasonably  necessary  to
    43  implement this act on the effective date of this act.
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