North Carolina SB 617: Accessing Certified Professional Midwives Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 617

Short Title: Accessing Certified Professional Midwives Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Burgin and Murdock (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S617-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL MIDWIVES LICENSING 2
ACT. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article 5
to read: 6
"Article 10B. 7
"Certified Professional Midwives. 8
"§ 90-178.10. Title. 9
This Article may be cited as the "Accessing Certified Professional Midwives Act." 10
"§ 90-178.11. Definitions. 11
The following definitions apply in this Article: 12
(1) Antepartal. – Occurring during pregnancy. 13
(2) Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). – A person who has obtained national 14
certification from the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). 15
(3) Collaboration. – The process by which a Certified Professional Midwife and 16
a physician or other appropriate health care provider jointly manage the care 17
of a client, as defined by Council rule. 18
(4) Consultation. – The exchange of information and advice regarding the client's 19
condition and indicated treatment with a licensed physician or certified nurse 20
midwife. 21
(5) Council. – The North Carolina Council of Certified Professional Midwives, a 22
subcommittee of the Division of Health Service Regulation. 23
(6) Department. – The North Carolina Department of Health and Human 24
Services. 25
(7) Division. – The Division of Health Service Regulation within the Department 26
of Health and Human Services to which the North Carolina Council of 27
Certified Professoinal Midwives reports. 28
(8) Health care provider. – As defined in G.S. 90-21.11. 29
(9) ICM. – The International Confederation of Midwives. 30
(10) Intrapartal. – Occurring during the process of giving birth. 31
(11) Licensed physician. – A physician duly licensed in this State to practice 32
medicine under Article 1 of this Chapter. 33
(12) Licensee. – A Certified Professional Midwife who holds the CPM credential 34
and is licensed to practice midwifery under this Article. 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 617-First Edition
(13) Midwifery. – The provision of primary health or maternity care to 1
childbearing people and infants. 2
(14) NACPM. – The National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. 3
(15) NARM. – The North American Registry of Midwives. 4
(16) Postpartal. – Occurring subsequent to birth. 5
"§ 90-178.12. License required; exemptions. 6
(a) No person shall practice or offer to practice midwifery as defined in this Article or 7
otherwise indicate or imply that the person is a licensed Certified Professional Midwife unless 8
the person is currently licensed as provided in this Article. 9
(b) The provisions of this Article do not apply to any of the following: 10
(1) An individual approved to practice as a nurse midwife under Article 10A of 11
this Chapter. 12
(2) A physician licensed to practice medicine under Article 1 of this Chapter when 13
engaged in the practice of medicine as defined by law. 14
(3) The performance of medical acts by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner 15
when performed in accordance with the rules of the North Carolina Board of 16
Nursing and the North Carolina Medical Board. 17
(4) The practice of nursing by a registered nurse engaged in the practice of nursing 18
under Article 9A of this Chapter. 19
(5) The rendering of childbirth assistance in an emergency situation. 20
"§ 90-178.13. The North Carolina Council of Midwives. 21
(a) Composition and Terms. – The North Carolina Council of Midwives is created. The 22
Council shall consist of seven members who shall serve staggered terms. The Council members 23
shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the 24
initial Council members shall be appointed on or before October 1, 2025, or within three months 25
of this Article becoming law, whichever is later, as follows: 26
(1) Four Certified Professional Midwives, one of whom shall serve for a term of 27
four years, two of whom shall serve for terms of three years, and one of whom 28
shall serve for a term of two years. 29
(2) One licensed physician who is knowledgeable in midwifery care who shall 30
serve for a term of four years. 31
(3) Two community birth consumers who shall serve for a term of two years. 32
Upon the expiration of the terms of the initial Council members, members shall be appointed 33
for terms of four years and shall serve until their successors are appointed. No member may serve 34
more than two consecutive terms. 35
(b) Qualifications. – Each Council member shall be a resident of this State. The members 36
who are Certified Professional Midwives shall hold current licenses from the Council and remain 37
in good standing with the Council during their t