Midwifery Birth Center Bill for NY State Passed, and was signed into law!

Rochester Area Birth Network

A Chapter of Birth Network National, a 501c3 nonprofit organization

“It’s your birth… Know your options.”

October 31st, 2016

RE: Passage of S. 4325.“An act to amend the public health law, in relation to midwifery birth centers”

RE: Passage of A.446: “An act to amend the public health law, in relation to midwifery birth centers”

Dear Governor Cuomo:

Rochester Area Birth Network is a chapter of Birth Network National, a 501-c-3 nonprofit

organization founded in 1996 to educate the public about healthy, research-based maternity

care in order to improve it. Our support comes from combination of, consumers, advocates,

midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, lactation professionals and more.

Rochester Area Birth Network fully supports Bill #A446/S4325 and urges you to pass it

during the current Legislative session. In particular we welcome the bill’s language defining

birth centers as midwife-led and allowing licensed midwives to be the clinical director in a

midwifery birth center. Research is clear that midwife-led birth centers are an important

option for childbearing families, and we recognize that the current law has multiple barriers

to creating and operating birth centers.

Rochester Area Birth Network also appreciates that regulations governing midwifery birth

centers are expected to require consultation with key stakeholders and to consider the

standards of state and national professional associations of midwifery birth centers.

We recognize that the Legislative session will end soon, and you have much to do. However,

the sooner this bill is passed into law, the closer we will be to providing the mothers, babies,

and families of New York State the opportunity to access birth centers in their communities.

Respectfully,

Rochester Area Birth Network

The Rochester Area Birth Network Steering Committee:

Scott Hartman, MD Dianne Cassidy, IBCLC

Nella Goho, LCCE Amy V. Haas, BCCE

Yasellyn Diaz-Vega, DC Laura Schwartz, LCCE

Willa Powell, CPA Molly Deutschbein, LMT, CST

Allison Fleming, DC

Midwifery Birth Center Bill – NY State