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Committee advances bill to give certified nurse midwives admitting, discharge privileges
Summary
The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted to advance House Bill 1181 to give certified nurse midwives admitting and discharge privileges and other hospital authorities, part of an effort lawmakers said is meant to improve maternal care access and outcomes.
Representative Bentley, the bill sponsor, told the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee that House Bill 1181 would amend earlier scope-of-practice legislation to allow certified nurse midwives to obtain admitting and discharge privileges at hospitals and perform related administrative tasks.
The change is narrowly focused on hospital privileges for certified nurse midwives, lawmakers said. "This bill is a very simple thing. All it does for the certified nurse midwives in our state ... is [allow admitting and discharge privileges]," Bentley said during the committee hearing. She told members the measure is intended to keep newly trained midwives in Arkansas after UAMS begins a midwifery program next year.
The committee sponsor framed the bill as part of a broader effort to address maternal mortality in Arkansas. Bentley referred members to the state maternal mortality review work and urged colleagues to consult Laura Shue at the Department of Health for the review’s findings. She said the leading maternal causes of death in the state include hypertension and diabetes among older mothers, and that expanding midwifery practice has been associated with improved outcomes in other states.
During the presentation a committee member asked for evidence that certified nurse midwives can identify emerging postpartum emergencies and determine when continued observation is necessary. Bentley responded that national certification and the profession’s training prepare midwives for those responsibilities and offered to provide documentation after the hearing.
Representative Rose moved the committee motion for a due-pass recommendation. The committee approved the motion by voice vote. The record does not list a roll-call tally; committee leadership announced the motion carried on a voice vote.
The sponsor and supporters said the bill is intended to complement a forthcoming UAMS midwifery education program and to remove regulatory barriers that previously limited certified nurse midwives’ ability to practice in Arkansas.
