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prophylaxis, recommended by the federal centers for disease control and prevention, to a mother; intravenous
fluids, excluding blood products, to a mother; any other drug or medication prescribed by a heath care provider
with prescriptive authority that is consistent with the scope of practice of midwifery and is authorized by the
board by rule.
MCL 333.17112 requires the department to promulgate rules that include standards for the delineation of
findings that preclude a woman or a newborn from being classified as having a normal pregnancy, labor,
delivery, postpartum period, or newborn period. In promulgating the rules, the department shall consider any
data, views, questions, and arguments submitted by the Michigan boards of licensed midwifery, medicine, and
osteopathic medicine and surgery.
MCL 333.17117 requires the department, in consultation with the board, to promulgate rules to establish and
implement the licensure program for the practice of midwifery; require the completion of continuing education
for the practice of midwifery as a condition for license renewal and allow proof of a current certified midwife
professional credential from the NARM or an equivalent credential from a credentialling program approved by
the board to meet the continuing education requirements; describe and regulate, limit, or prohibit the
performance of acts, tasks, or functions by midwives, including rules regarding the referral to and consultation
with appropriate health professionals in conformance with national standards for the practice of midwifery;
establish the process by which informed consent is obtained and ensure that the process conforms to national
standards and requires at least that a midwife must provide a copy of the rules at the inception of care for a
client and discloses orally and in writing whether the midwife has malpractice liability insurance and, if so, the
policy limitations of the coverage; establish the duties a midwife must perform if an emergency transfer to a
hospital if necessary, in conformance with nationally recognized guidelines on safe transfers, for the purposes
of establishing protocols for transfer of care.
B. If these rules exceed a federal standard, please identify the federal standard or citation, describe why it
is necessary that the proposed rules exceed the federal standard or law, and specify the costs and
benefits arising out of the deviation.
The proposed rules do not exceed a federal standard.
2. Compare the proposed rules to standards in similarly situated states, based on geographic location,
topography, natural resources, commonalities, or economic similarities.
Each state is responsible for implementing its own laws and rules pertaining to licensed midwives.
In Indiana, Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin midwives are licensed as independent licensed midwives.
In order to be licensed as a midwife in Indiana, an applicant must submit: a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)
credential from the NARM, proof of education, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) card, American Academy of
Pediatrics certificate showing completion of a program in neonatal resuscitation, affidavits documenting observation
and attendance at births, proof of passing an emergency skills training course, proof of liability insurance, a
collaborative practice agreement, and a criminal background check. A licensed midwife must work pursuant to a
collaborative agreement with a physician holding an unrestricted license to practice medicine in Indiana.
In Minnesota, an applicant must submit proof of having graduated from an approved education program or
apprenticeship, a certificate as a CPM by NARM, certification by the American Heart Association (AHA) or the
American Red Cross in CPR for adults and infants, a medical consultation plan, and the required practical experience.
In New York, an applicant must submit proof of education and have passed the American Midwifery Certification
Board (AMCB) examination. A midwife must have a collaborative relationship with a licensed physician who is board
certified as an obstetrician-gynecologist, or who practices obstetrics and has privileges at a hospital, or with a hospital
licensed under the state that provides obstetrics through a licensed physician.
Illinois passed legislation to allow a licensing process for a midwife, which requires a midwife certification from the
NARM, as well as a post-secondary midwifery education program. If a midwifery education program has not been
completed by an applicant, but the applicant holds a certification from the NARM, the applicant may be licensed
through an alternate path. The new process took effect in 2022.
In Wisconsin, an applicant is required to provide a certification from NARM or the American College of Nurse
Midwives, submit certification in CPR, obtain certification for use of an automated external defibrillator, and
MCL 24.245(3)