l9n/ Mississippi

2026 Regular Session

House Bill 79

Midwifery; provide for licensure and regulation of.

Did not become law. It stopped in the House of Representatives's Public Health and Human Services Committee on February 3, 2026.

What it does

The synopsis the Legislature published with the bill.

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE LICENSURE AND REGULATION OF PROFESSIONAL MIDWIFERY; TO PROVIDE DEFINITIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE ACT; TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS TO THE APPLICABILITY OF THE ACT; TO PROVIDE THE SCOPE OF PRACTICE FOR LICENSED MIDWIVES; TO PROVIDE MANDATORY PROCEDURES FOR LICENSED MIDWIVES; TO PROHIBIT LICENSED MIDWIVES FROM CERTAIN ACTIONS; TO CREATE THE STATE BOARD OF LICENSED MIDWIFERY AND PROVIDE FOR ITS COMPOSITION, APPOINTMENT AND POWERS AND DUTIES; TO REQUIRE THE BOARD TO PROMULGATE RULES NOT LATER THAN JULY 1, 2027; TO REQUIRE A LICENSE FROM THE BOARD TO PRACTICE PROFESSIONAL MIDWIFERY; TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF TEMPORARY PERMITS TO PRACTICE PENDING QUALIFICATION FOR LICENSURE; TO PROVIDE EXEMPTIONS FROM LICENSURE FOR CERTAIN PERSONS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION MAINTAINED BY THE BOARD; TO PROVIDE IMMUNITY FOR CERTAIN ACTIONS; TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF THIS ACT; TO PROHIBIT TERMINOLOGY IN ANY HEALTH COVERAGE PLAN, POLICY OR CONTRACT THAT IS DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST PROFESSIONAL MIDWIFERY; TO REQUIRE HEALTH COVERAGE PLANS THAT PROVIDE MATERNITY BENEFITS TO PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR SERVICES RENDERED BY A LICENSED MIDWIFE; TO PROVIDE WHENEVER A HEALTH COVERAGE PLAN PROVIDES FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF ANY SERVICES THAT ARE WITHIN THE LAWFUL SCOPE OF PRACTICE OF LICENSED MIDWIVES, THE PERSON ENTITLED TO BENEFITS UNDER THE PLAN SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE SERVICES, WHETHER THE SERVICES ARE PERFORMED BY A PHYSICIAN OR A LICENSED MIDWIFE; TO REQUIRE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO DEVELOP AND INSTITUTE A SAFE PERINATAL TRANSFER CERTIFICATION FOR THE FACILITIES THAT IT REGULATES; TO AMEND SECTION 73-25-33, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THAT THE PRACTICE OF MIDWIFERY IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Sponsors

Who carried the bill in each chamber, and who signed on. Each name leads to the member's page.

In the House of Representatives

Its course

January 7 to February 3, 2026, on one scale. In the top row each mark is a day something happened; taller marks are busier days.

Each committee stop sits inside its chamber.

Every action2 actions on 2 days

In the House of RepresentativesJan 7 to Feb 3 · stopped27 days

Public Health and Human ServicesJan 7 to Feb 3 · stopped27 days

Text

Each version as the Legislature printed it.

l9n doesn't hold this bill's text yet.

What happened

In l9n's words, one line for each step. Every action as the Legislature published it is below.

In the House of Representatives Jan 7 – Feb 3

  1. Jan 7Referred to the House committee on Public Health and Human Services
  2. Feb 3Died in committee in the House
All 2 actions, as published
  1. Jan 7Referred To Public Health and Human ServicesHouse of Representatives
  2. Feb 3Died In CommitteeHouse of Representatives