Can you tell me how the passage of this bill could potentially affect Certified Professional Midwives? CPMs are certified through NARM (North American Registry of Midwives), however their certification is not recognized by the state of Michigan, and state licensure for CPMs is not available in Michigan. (The Michigan Midwives Association has been working to get legislation passed that would provide for the licensure of CPMs.) As of now, the only midwives licensed by the state are Certified Nurse Midwives.
Some midwifery proponents are concerned that the passage of this bill would lead to the prosecution of CPMs for practicing nursing or medicine without a license. However, my understanding is that the bill would allow the Department of Community Health to conduct an investigation only when it receives information that an individual is practicing "a regulated health profession" without a lawful license or registration. Since CPMs are not health profession regulated by the state, would this legislation protect them or potentially harm them?
Thank you for your thoughts.