Health Occupations - Licensed Direct-Entry Midwives - Revisions

SB 854 revises Maryland's laws governing licensed direct-entry midwives, making their practice independent without requiring oversight by other healthcare providers. It removes the requirement for midwives to report certain information to the Direct-Entry Midwifery Advisory Committee and updates disciplinary procedures for license holders. The bill also clarifies that midwives can provide care directly to patients and newborns during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods, including emergency procedures like administering medications or performing episiotomies. These changes directly affect licensed midwives and the patients they serve in Maryland, streamlining their scope of practice under existing licensure. The bill extends the Maryland Licensure of Direct-Entry Midwives Act through a specified sunset date.