2019 State and Federal Legislative Updates!
Thursday, October 17th, 2019
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Among the most frequent requests NACPM receives from our members are:
“What is happening with CPM legislation in the states (jurisdictions)?”
“Is there anything the federal government can do to make the CPM profession viable and sustainable?”
“Enough with talk – we need more people of color in the midwifery profession now!”
This webinar is designed to provide some answers to these important questions.
We begin with updates from two states – Kentucky and Hawaii – that became the 6th and 7th states to enact laws to license CPMs since the US MERA agreements were reached in 2015. Because of the tireless advocacy of midwives and consumers in the states, along with the momentum generated by the US MERA accords – there are now a total of 33 states that license CPMs. We will hear about two of these legislative journeys from Mary Kathryn DeLodder, MA, leader of the Kentucky Home Birth Coalition, and Sky Connelly, CPM, former Board Secretary of the Midwives Alliance of Hawaii. Several other jurisdictions are in various stages of legislation to license CPMs: Aza Nedhari, CPM, MA, will share the path towards licensing CPMs in Washington, D.C., and the role that CPMs are positioning themselves to play in alleviating the birth care crisis in the nation’s capital.
On the federal front, a vibrant new energy is palpable in the halls of this 116th Congress, the most racially, ethnically and socially diverse in history, and exciting new federal opportunities for CPMs are on the horizon. Two bills to support the education of midwives are on the docket this session, supporting the growth and urgently needed racial diversity in the midwifery profession. Mary Lawlor, CPM, MA, executive director of NACPM, will share details about two new bills that authorize the first-ever federal funding programs that will support the education of all midwives, including CPMs, and how you can help to secure their passage. Along with urgently needed support for our CPM schools and programs, these bills prioritize support for training midwives to work in birth care provider shortage areas and increasing critical racial representation in the midwifery workforce.
H. R. 2740: Funding for Midwifery Education Included in the House 2020 Appropriations Bill
H.R. 3849: Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services (Midwives for MOMS) Act of 2019
These presentations will be followed by the opportunity for discussion and your questions. Please join us on October 17th!