Section 19a-59l - Midwifery working group. Responsibilities. Appointments. Annual report(a) As used in this section: (1) "Certified midwife" means any individual who completes a graduate degree in midwifery and passes a national certification examination administered by the American Midwifery Certification Board to receive the professional designation of certified midwife;(2) "Community birth" means a planned home birth or a birth occurring at a birth center;(3) "Direct entry midwife" means any individual trained in planned out-of-hospital births other than a nurse-midwife, which may include certified midwives, certified professional midwives, community midwives and traditional midwives; and(4) "Licensed nurse-midwife" means any individual licensed as a nurse-midwife pursuant to chapter 377.(b) The Commissioner of Public Health shall establish a midwifery working group. The working group shall study and make recommendations concerning the advancement of choices in care for community birth and the role of direct entry midwives in addressing maternal and infant health disparities. Such study shall include, but need not be limited to:(1) Improvements in birthing care quality and safety, including improvements addressing racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes;(2) Regulation, licensure or certification of direct entry midwives not otherwise licensed to practice midwifery in the state;(3) Regulation, licensure or certification of certified midwives not otherwise licensed to practice midwifery in the state; and(4) Advancements of interprofessional coordination of birthing care, including community birth.(c) The Commissioner of Public Health shall appoint members of the working group. Such members shall include, but need not be limited to, the commissioner's designee, at least six direct-entry midwives practicing in the state, a certified nurse-midwife with experience working with direct entry midwives, a certified midwife representing an entity that certifies midwives, a doula serving communities of color, a representative of families or a community-based organization with an interest in maternity care, a representative of a community organization furthering health equity, representatives of associated maternity care professions, a representative of the state hospital association and a representative of the Department of Social Services.(d) Not later than February 1, 2024, and annually thereafter, the midwifery working group shall report to the Commissioner of Public Health and, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health on its findings and recommendations.(e) The midwifery working group shall select to renew or disband the group on an annual basis in a manner determined by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-59l
Added by P.A. 23-0147, S. 15 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2023.