Midwife proposal advances in House

The House Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor voted Tuesday to advance legislation that would expand the scope of practice for certified nurse midwives and allow them to operate independently of a physician.

House Bill 1215, by Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, overcame opposition from several members of the committee, who peppered Bentley with questions about what requirements midwives would have to enter into agreements with obstetricians and hospitals for patient care in the event complications arose during a birth.

The bill, as written, eliminates an existing requirement that certified nurse midwives have agreements with consulting physicians to offer care.

The bill would also expand the scope of practice for certified nurse midwives to include diagnosing patients, ordering tests, prescribing drugs and initiating treatment or transferring a patient to another health care professional.

“I’m still trying to find the guardrails” on the bill, said state Rep. John Payton, R-Wilburn.

Bentley said current state regulations discourage certified nurse midwives from practicing in Arkansas, and that the lack of midwives in rural areas with few obstetricians contributes to the state’s poor outcomes for maternal health and infant mortality.

“I’m weary of Arkansas being 48th” in those rankings, she said.

After Bentley told lawmakers she would work to alleviate their concerns by amending the bill or ensuring that other rules be put in place, the committee passed HB1215 by a voice vote, sending it to the House floor.