Bill A5674, sponsored by Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake, District 24, “creates "Midwifery Licensing Act;" modifies regulation of midwifery” in New Jersey and we are concerned that this bill will infringe on the birth choices available to NJ women. This bill is being heard on Monday, December 11th at 1PM in the Assembly Regulated Professions Committee, Room 15, 4th Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ. Please consider attending the committee meeting and testifying Monday!
We are working with Project Homebirth to activate NJ parents, parents to be & grandparents to ensure that birthing mothers maintain the choice to birth at home safely. Please review their Instagram account for facts about this bill.
Bill A5674 would:
limit options for NJ families
lead to unsafe births at home with untrained and unlicensed attendants
lead to the eradication of the profession of midwifery in NJ
Project Homebirth is asking that the bill be amended to address three major areas of concern:
The bill requirement that Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) establish written clinical guidelines with a doctor or Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM/CM) (among other professions) to practice and to obtain, carry, and administer life-saving medications that are within the scope of their practice (lines 31c and 42d).
Midwives are highly trained professionals. They have operated autonomously in New Jersey thus far with better maternal and baby health statistics than most doctors.
Doctors/other medical professionals are not required to take midwives on and establish these guidelines. There is no incentive for them to do so. Furthermore, the institutions they are associated with (hospitals, insurance providers) may not allow it.
The requirement that “individual licensed midwives shall maintain professional liability insurance coverage, at appropriate amounts to be determined by the board.” (New sect 10).
There is only one provider in the country that will over CPMs insurance, and it is exorbitantly expensive. Such cost will put and undue burden on current and future midwifery practices and require them to close. If this is required, there must be additional insurance options available for a fair market.
Consider the composition of the new Board of Midwifery and ensure that it will be balanced enough to include the voices of NJ midwives. To maintain the integrity of this board and what they aim to achieve, there must be more midwife seats, or less seats total. Again, midwives are the experts in their profession and should be able to practice autonomously.
The NJ Certified Professional Midwives Association are willing to meet and discuss these suggested amendments. NJ needs to preserve and protect birth choice and review these suggested amendments with the appropriate healthcare professionals because legislation restricting autonomous midwifery practice does not improve birth outcomes.
WHAT CAN WE DO? TAKE ACTION New Jersey Parents!
Consider showing up in Trenton Monday to testify & have your voice heard!
Please email & leave messages for the members of the REGULATED PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE:
Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (D)- District 34 (973) 779-3125, asmgiblin@njleg.org
Assemblyman Pedro Mejia (D) District 32, (201) 770-1303, asmmejia@njleg.org
Assemblyman Sean T. Kean (R) District 30, (732) 974-0400, asmkean@njleg.org
Assemblyman Paul D. Moriarty (D) District 4, (856) 232-6700, asmmoriarty@njleg.org
Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R) District 13. (732) 856-9294 asmscharfenberger@njleg.org
Email template from Project Homebirth:
Re: A5674 – Midwifery Licensing Act
Dear [COMMITTEE MEMBER],
We are in support of the spirit and mission of the above-named bill, particularly as is stated in bill language: “In light of the expansion of midwifery practice and the urgent need to address New Jersey’s unusually high levels of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, it is necessary to establish a new regulatory framework for the practice of midwifery in this State.”
There are, however, several areas of concern in the bill that need attention and amendment before the bill is in alignment with the stated mission of the bill itself. In fact, without attention to amendments, passage of this bill as written will have serious unintended consequences, limiting options for NJ families, creating the real possibility of unsafe birth at home with untrained and unlicensed attendants, and the eradication of the profession.
There are three major areas of concern that need to be addressed:
Requirement that CPMs establish written clinical guidelines with a doctor or CNM/CM (among other professions) to practice and to obtain, carry, and administer life-saving medications that are within the scope of their practice (lines 31c and 42d).
Requirement that “individual licensed midwives shall maintain professional liability insurance coverage, at appropriate amounts to be determined by the board.” (New sect 10).
Composition of the new Board of Midwifery is not balanced enough toward midwives. Please be in touch with the legislative committee of the NJ Certified Professional Midwives Association at njcpmleg@gmail.com to meet with them about the needed amendments.
Best regards,
[YOUR NAME]
Sample Phone/Message Script:
Hello. My name is [YOUR NAME] and I’m calling to support the NJ CPM Legislative committee and their proposed amendments to Assembly Bill 5674.
Without these amendments, Certified Professional Midwives may cease to exist. CPMs are present for the majority of home births in the state of New Jersey without them, we risk losing access to safe home birth. Please support these amendments and birth choice in New Jersey
Amendments for reference:
Requirement that CPMs establish written clinical guidelines with a doctor or CNM/CM (among other professions) to practice and to obtain, carry, and administer life-saving medications that are within the scope of their practice (lines 31c and 42d).
Requirement that “individual licensed midwives shall maintain professional liability insurance coverage, at appropriate amounts to be determined by the board.” (New sect 10).
Composition of the new Board of Midwifery is not balanced enough toward midwives. Please be in touch with the legislative committee of the NJ Certified Professional Midwives Association at njcpmleg@gmail.com to meet with them about the needed amendments.
Let’s work together NJ to ensure women have birth choices in NJ! #IPANJ