Provides that the commissioner of health shall approve the operating certificate of a midwifery birth center which is accredited by a recognized accrediting organization.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1414--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 12, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sens. RIVERA, BAILEY, BIAGGI, HOYLMAN, RAMOS -- read twice
and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee
on Health -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as
amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to accreditation,
approval, and operation of midwifery birth centers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 11 of section 2803 of the public health law, as
2 added by chapter 397 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
3 11. (a) The commissioner shall make regulations relating to midwifery
4 birth centers, including relating to establishment, construction, and
5 operation, considering the standards of state and national professional
6 associations of midwifery birth centers, in consultation with represen-
7 tatives of midwives, midwifery birth centers, and general hospitals
8 providing obstetric services.
9 (b) (i) As used in this subdivision, "accrediting organization" means
10 a national accrediting organization that provides accreditation to
11 midwifery birth centers, recognized by the commissioner in consultation
12 with representatives of midwives, midwifery birth centers, and general
13 hospitals providing obstetric services. The commissioner shall not
14 unreasonably withhold recognition of an organization seeking to be
15 recognized under this paragraph.
16 (ii) Where a proposed midwifery birth center demonstrates the intent
17 and capability to obtain and maintain accreditation by an accrediting
18 organization, it shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this arti-
19 cle for a midwifery birth center for approval of a certificate of incor-
20 poration, articles of organization and establishment, contingent on
21 obtaining and maintaining that accreditation.
22 (iii) Regulations and requirements of the commissioner for approval of
23 a certificate of incorporation, articles of organization, establishment,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00581-03-1
S. 1414--A 2
1 and operation of a midwifery birth center established or seeking to be
2 established under this article, including a determination of public need
3 and compliance with operational and physical plant standards, shall not
4 be inconsistent with article one hundred forty of the education law and
5 the standards of the accrediting organization from which the midwifery
6 birth center proposes to seek, seeks or has obtained accreditation.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
