HARRISBURG – Lackawanna County Sen. Rosemary Brown plans to introduce legislation to update and modernize midwife requirements. Board-certified midwives are trained to work with families through the entire pregnancy process, including childbirth, postpartum care, and the first 28 days of a newborn’s life. Midwives may provide other routine women’s reproductive care, along with full prenatal care, clinical exams, and screenings. The proposal, known as the Midwifery Modernization Act, would expand access to maternal health care by amending the Medical Practice Act of 1985 to include the licensure of certified midwives in PA and updates to the regulatory restrictions. Board-certified midwives in PA must possess a bachelor’s degree in nursing, complete a midwifery education program, pass the national certification exam, apply for licensure as a certified nurse-midwife or certified midwife through the PA State Board of Nursing, and maintain certification and licensure by fulfilling continuing education requirements. Brown is circulating a co-sponsorship memo seeking support for her proposal.
SEN. ROSEMARY BROWN