North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 3 D · 1 R cosponsors

SB 617 — Accessing Certified Professional Midwives Act.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 38% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 4 sponsors

    1 primary, 3 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (3 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

23 added · 24 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of SB 617 includes a few important amendments aimed at regulating midwifery more effectively. Notably, it establishes that members of the board overseeing midwifery will serve four-year terms to ensure experienced oversight and outlines clear qualifications and training requirements for midwives, including ongoing certification in CPR and neonatal resuscitation. These changes matter because they aim to improve the standards of care in midwifery, ensuring that practitioners are well-trained and accountable, which ultimately benefits maternal and infant health.

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FILED SENATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA Mar 25, 2025 S.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 1 SENATE BILL 617 Short Title:
617 SESSION 2025 PRINCIPAL CLERK S D SENATE BILL DRS45317-NBf-70 Short Title:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL MIDWIVES LICENSING ACT.
Rules and Operations of the Senate March 26, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL MIDWIVES LICENSING ACT.
Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended byadding a new Article to read:
*DRS45317-NBf-70* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (13) Midwifery.
*S617-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (13) Midwifery.
No member may serve more than two consecutive terms.
No member mayserve more than two consecutive terms.
If a Council member is absent from three consecutive Council meetings without excuse, that member shall be removed from office and a new member shall beappointed by theSecretaryof theDepartment ofHealthandHumanServices.
If a Council member is absent from three consecutive Council meetings without excuse, that member shall be removed from office and a new member shall beappointed bythe Secretaryof theDepartment of HealthandHumanServices.
A member subject to disciplinary proceedings in the member's capacity as a health care provider shall be disqualified from participating in the official business of the Council until the charges have been resolved.
A member subject to disciplinary proceedings in the member's capacityas a health care provider shall be disqualified from participating in the official business of the Council until the charges have been resolved.
Page 2 DRS45317-NBf-70 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (e) Compensation.
Page 2 Senate Bill 617-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (e) Compensation.
DRS45317-NBf-70 Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 An applicant shall be licensed to practice as a Certified Professional Midwife under this Article if the applicant meets all of the following requirements:
Senate Bill 617-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 An applicant shall be licensed to practice as a Certified Professional Midwife under this Article if the applicant meets all of the following requirements:
(2) Has completed all required educational and clinical training, including education in emergency skills for pregnancy, birth, and newborn care and other midwifery topics addressing all ICM Core Competencies, as determined by NACPM or NARM, and has earned the national Certified Professional Midwifecertification credential awarded by anational midwifery certification agency accredited by the National Commission on Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting body of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence.
(2) Has completed all required educational and clinical training, including education in emergency skills for pregnancy, birth, and newborn care and other midwiferytopics addressing all ICM Core Competencies, as determined by NACPM or NARM, and has earned the national Certified Professional Midwifecertification credential awarded byanational midwiferycertification agency accredited by the National Commission on Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting body of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence.
(a) An initial license to practice as a Certified Professional Midwife shall be valid for two years.Aftertheinitiallicenseexpires,alicenseshallberenewedeverytwoyears.Allapplications for renewal shall be filed with the Council and shall be accompanied by the renewal fee in accordancewithG.S.
(a) An initial license to practice as a Certified Professional Midwife shall be valid for two years.Aftertheinitiallicenseexpires,alicenseshallberenewedeverytwo years.Allapplications for renewal shall be filed with the Council and shall be accompanied by the renewal fee in accordancewithG.S.
90-178.19andproofofcurrentcertificationfromNARM.Compliancewith NARM recertification requirements shall include (i) remaining in good standing with NARM, (ii) maintaining current cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)and neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) certifications, and (iii) completing any continuing education requirements.
90-178.19andproofofcurrentcertificationfromNARM.Compliancewith NARM recertification requirements shall include (i) remaining in good standing with NARM, (ii) maintaining current cardiopulmonaryresuscitation (CPR)and neonatal resuscitation program (NRP) certifications, and (iii) completing any continuing education requirements.
Page 4 DRS45317-NBf-70 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (b) A license that has expired for failure to renew may be reinstated after the applicant pays any late and renewal fees as required by G.S.
Page 4 Senate Bill 617-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (b) A license that has expired for failure to renew may be reinstated after the applicant pays any late and renewal fees as required by G.S.
The Council may, upon application and payment of proper fees, grant a license to an individual who resides in this State and has been licensed, certified, or registered to practice as a Certified Professional Midwife in another jurisdiction if that jurisdiction's standards of competency are substantially equivalent to those provided in this Article in accordance with rules adopted by the Council.
The Council may, upon application and payment of proper fees, grant a license to an individual who resides in this State and has been licensed, certified, or registered to practice as a Certified Professional Midwife in another jurisdiction if that jurisdiction's standards of competencyare substantiallyequivalent to those provided in this Article in accordance with rules adopted by the Council.
All fees payable to the Council shall be deposited in the name of the Council in financial institutions designated by the Council as official depositories and shall be used to pay all expenses incurred in carrying out the purposes of this Article.
All fees payable to the Council shall be deposited in the name of the Council in financial institutions designated bythe Council as official depositories and shall be used to pay all expenses incurred in carrying out the purposes of this Article.
(4) Has a habitual substance abuse problem or mental impairment that interferes with his or her ability to provide appropriate care as established by this Article or rules adopted by the Council.
(4) Has a habitual substance abuse problem or mental impairment that interferes with his or her abilityto provide appropriate care as established bythis Article or rules adopted by the Council.
DRS45317-NBf-70 Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (6) Has had an application for licensure or a license to practice midwifery as a Certified Professional Midwife in another jurisdiction denied, suspended, or revoked for reasons that would be grounds for similar action in this State.
Senate Bill 617-First Edition Page 5 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (6) Has had an application for licensure or a license to practice midwifery as a Certified Professional Midwife in another jurisdiction denied, suspended, or revoked for reasons that would be grounds for similar action in this State.
Page 6 DRS45317-NBf-70
Page 6 Senate Bill 617-First Edition
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Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 175 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (3)

Not signed on (175)

175 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 175 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

healthcare labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 617?
SB 617 is sponsored by Joyce Waddell (Democratic), Sophia Chitlik (Democratic), Natalie S. Murdock (Democratic), and Jim Burgin (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 617?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 25, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 617?
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