BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 408
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Date of Hearing: July 15, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
SB 408
(Morrell) - As Amended May 6, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes minimum training requirements for, and
defines activities that may performed by, a midwife assistant.
SB 408
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FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor administrative staff costs to each the Medical Board of
California (MBC, Contingent Fund of the MBC) and the Board of
Registered Nursing (BRN Fund), if regulations are necessary.
Both the MBC and BRN have advisory councils that are expected to
assist in the development of any required regulations, which
should minimize staff time.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. This bill defines the role of a midwife assistant,
and allows these individuals to perform duties similar to
those of a traditional medical assistant. The duties include
routine tasks such as administering medicine, drawing blood,
and recording patient data. The intent is to create a standard
of training for assistants that protects both the consumer and
the supervising midwife. This bill is sponsored by the MBC.
2)Background. Licensed midwives are regulated by the MBC, and
certified nurse midwives are regulated by the BRN. Both types
of midwives are authorized to attend to cases of normal
childbirth. The MBC's 2012 sunset review report raised the
issue of licensed midwives using assistants, which is not
specifically addressed or authorized in statute. Because no
standards exist, midwives appear to be using assistants with a
wide variety of skill and training levels, and allowing them
to perform a variety of duties. This bill will essentially
codify current practice, but place minimum standards on the
training and duties for midwife assistants. The standards in
this bill are similar to existing standards for medical
assistants, who perform basic administrative, clerical and
technical supportive services under the supervision of
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physicians. This bill does not create a state license or
certification for midwife assistants; the assistant works
under the supervision of the midwife. However, a certificate
of completion of required training hours is required.
3)Related Legislation.
a) AB 1306 (Burke), pending in the Senate, removes the
physician supervision requirement for CNMs.
b) SB 407 (Morrell), pending in the Assembly, authorizes a
health care provider to employ or contract licensed
midwives for the purpose of providing comprehensive
perinatal services, and expands the definition of
"comprehensive perinatal provider" to include a licensed
midwife.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916)
319-2081