Moving Forward!
We are so excited to be finished reviewing with the Georgia Occupational Regulation Review Committee!
Of course, they ruled that Certified Professional Midwives should not be licensed. This was expected based on Georgia’s lack of awareness of maternal health needs and available providers and because HB717 was radically altered by the legal counsel of the Georgia House of Representatives to potentially fail by design.
The GORRC was helpful in providing a list of recommended changes to our bill and we have already tackled many of the things on this list! You can read it by clicking the link on this page that says HB717 Final Report. Despite our best efforts to educate on the Certified Professional Midwife education and training, it seems some confusion still exists based on this report.
The main point that GORRC communicated was that midwives already ARE regulated in our state, which is true! That is part of the reason why we knew that being sent to their committee was unnecessary, even though it proved to be really helpful. Current Georgia law states that only Nurse Midwives can call themselves midwives. This was slipped into rules and regulations in 2015 and no one was notified. Since 2015 all Certified Professional Midwives have officially been practicing illegally and most didn’t even know it! You can read a summary of this law at the link above.
The important thing to understand is that we do not need GORRC approval to move forward with HB717.
HB 717 is already underway being edited.
What can you do?
WE NEED FUNDS!
We need to raise funds to pay for our Lobbyist! Currently, an auction has been started! We need donations to add to what has been donated so far:
Artwork by Hannah Ledbetter
Maternity Photoshoot by Stephanie Counts (www.stephaniecountsphotography.com)
Usborne Books & More Travel Pack (2 activity books, one pack of dry erase activity cards, 4 doodle your own bookmarks, drawstring backpack)
What can you donate? Essential oil packs? A car? Art prints? Massage Services? Gift Cards? Tickets to sporting events? Movie ticket packages? A table at your restaurant? Fireworks? House cleaning services?
The auction goes live on December 7, just in time for Christmas shopping.
To donate items or services please contact Hope by email at hb717auction@gmail.com or on the Facebook Page: License Georgia Midwives HB717 Auction.
You can always give financially on our Donate Page or by mailing a check.
Thank you so much for your support. As you know, your CPMs are not strangers to hard work or long hours. We are putting it all in to obtain licensure so that we can continue to serve you.
Fundraising or volunteer inquiries can be sent to nacpmga@gmail.com
Yours,
Missi Burgess, CPM
President, Georgia State Chapter NACPM