SB87 Alabama 2025 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Arthur OrrSenator
Republican
Session: 2025 Regular Session
Title: Board of Midwifery; revise powers
Summary: SB87 would revise the State Board of Midwifery to accept gifts, allow licensed midwives to practice in freestanding birth centers and administer certain newborn screening tests, and update licensure and practice rules.
What This Bill Does
It authorizes the board to accept gifts and grants. Licensed midwives may provide midwifery care in freestanding birth centers and may administer certain newborn screening tests, subject to board rules. It updates board structure, reporting requirements, licensure fees and insurance standards, and clarifies scope of practice and patient protections, including required disclosures, informed consent, emergency planning, and post-birth care obligations, with an effective date of October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects
Licensed midwives and professional organizations (e.g., CNMs, nurse practitioners, and the Alabama Birth Coalition) by expanding practice settings, establishing data reporting requirements, and imposing insurance and licensing standards.
Pregnant people and newborns who choose midwifery care by expanding options for out-of-hospital birth in freestanding birth centers and requiring disclosures, consent, emergency planning, and access to newborn screening and related safety information.

Key Provisions
Board may accept gifts and grants to support its functions.
Licensed midwives may provide care in freestanding birth centers and administer certain newborn screening tests, under board rules.
Board composition includes four certified professional midwives, one nurse practitioner, one licensed CNM or RN, and one member who used midwifery services; appointments, terms, and diversity considerations are specified.
The board may establish licensure procedures, fees, standardized forms, complaint investigations, and penalties up to $1,000 per violation; requires minimum professional liability insurance ($100,000 per occurrence, $300,000 aggregate).
Rules under the Administrative Procedure Act implement licensure standards, education requirements, conduct standards, complaint procedures, and clinical internships; rules are designed to ensure independent practice.
Scope restrictions specify obstetric procedures outside the licensed midwife’s scope (e.g., epidural anesthesia, narcotics, forceps/vacuum delivery, abortion, cesarean, pharmacologic induction, general anesthesia, vaginal birth after cesarean, delivering multiple pregnancy, and non-cephalic presentation at onset of labor are restricted).
Out-of-hospital care is allowed with mandatory client disclosures, informed consent forms, transfer and emergency plans, and a requirement to file birth certificates and report to public health authorities; midwives may order limited screening tests and must refer certain results to a licensed physician.
Midwives must provide eye ointment and newborn health screening information to new mothers, document emergency plans, monitor labor progress, stay with the client postpartum until stabilized, and maintain data collection for the Midwives Alliance/North America Statistics Project.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Occupational Licensing Boards