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Committee hears requests to study neonatal ICU leave and midwifery oversight in rural Wyoming
Summary
A witness asked the committee to study family-leave options for parents of babies hospitalized in neonatal intensive care, while lawmakers and other witnesses urged a review of midwifery scope and oversight after constituent complaints about training and investigation delays.
Micah Richardson of the Wyoming Women’s Foundation asked committee members to study leave options for families whose babies are born preterm and require neonatal intensive care, explaining the policy could be unpaid or paid and must consider business-size impacts. Richardson told lawmakers the idea would affect an estimated 639 babies born in 2024 and could reduce pressure on families who sometimes travel out of state for care.
Representative Alisa Campbell urged a separate deep review of midwifery practice and oversight after a constituent suffered a pregnancy loss at 38 weeks. Campbell said investigations of complaints have taken years and raised concerns about unsupervised interns and code-of-ethics enforcement; she asked the committee to examine whether the current regulatory structure and staffing levels for investigations are adequate.
Senator Brennan and other members noted a separate interim item exploring whether expanded midwifery scope could address rural maternity gaps by letting certified midwives practice to the full extent of their training. Committee members did not vote; chairs directed staff to collect documentation and suggested these related maternal‑health topics could be combined into an interim study.
What’s next: The committee expects to gather additional written information and regulatory materials and to decide with management council whether to bundle neonatal-family-leave and midwifery oversight into a single interim study or pursue them separately.
