House carries over midwifery-board bill after floor amendment debate

Representative Rosalyn Lance presented HB 128, described on the floor as a housekeeping and technical-revision bill for the State Board of Midwifery intended to align rules and allow donations beyond licensing fees. Lance said the changes are aimed at stabilizing fees and lowering entry barriers for midwives.

Members questioned whether the bill was the same measure considered last session and discussed committee changes. Representative Hall asked for specifics about language that had been removed from another bill; Lance identified lines (noted on the floor) concerning information hospitals must provide to new mothers and cited the relevant hospital-definition reference in section 22:21:20.

Representative Harrison offered a floor amendment that would reference the Alabama Birth Coalition or a successor consumer organization and would clarify that a licensed midwife may order and administer newborn screening tests and that the Alabama Department of Public Health should provide tests to licensed midwives upon request. The sponsor accepted parts of the amendment but, after review, asked to carry the bill over to the call of the chair to allow time to reconcile the third amendment provision.

Representative Lance said the midwifery group was generally supportive of the substitute but needed time to review the floor amendment language. The clerk recorded the committee substitute as adopted earlier; the sponsor then moved to carry HB 128 over for additional work on the amendment.

Next steps: HB 128 will return to the floor after sponsor and stakeholders refine the amendment language.