Bill No.: SF0048                  Drafter:  JWL

LSO No.:  10LSO-0207              Effective Date: July 1, 2010*

Enrolled Act No.:  SEA0043

Chapter No.:       46

Prime Sponsor:     Senator Johnson

Catch Title:       Licensure of midwives.

Subject:  Authorizes the licensure and regulation of midwives.

Summary/Major Elements:

• This act:

o Establishes the Board of Midwifery to regulate the practice of midwifery;

o Provides criteria for the issuance of a midwife license, including specified education and professional certification requirements;

o Identifies grounds for discipline of a midwife by the board, to include suspension, revocation or conditioning of a license;

o Requires the board to adopt rules and provide minimum requirements regarding the scope of midwifery practice, referrals to physicians, emergency transfers to a hospital and protocols for informed consent, management of newborns, medical waste disposal and reporting of outcomes to the board;

o Provides that no hospital, physician, nurse or emergency medical technician shall be liable for any negligence or willful and wanton acts or omissions of a midwife;

o Requires fingerprinting and criminal background checks of applicants for licensure as a midwife.

Comments:

*The act is effective July 1, 2010, except the establishment of the Board and rulemaking authority is effective immediately.