HEALTH CARE: Requests the Louisiana Department of Health to develop a plan for decreasing regulatory barriers for free-standing birth centers.

This Senate resolution asks the Louisiana Department of Health to create a plan for reducing regulatory hurdles that currently limit the number of free-standing birth centers in the state. The bill specifically targets these facilities, which are separate from hospitals and staffed by midwives to care for low-risk pregnancies, aiming to improve access in rural areas where obstetric services are scarce. It directs the department to collaborate with various stakeholders, including medical associations and birth center administrators, to modernize licensing rules and remove administrative barriers. The primary goal is to address Louisiana's high maternal mortality rates by expanding available options for safe childbirth in underserved communities.