Pa. House Passes HAP-Supported Midwifery Bill

April 30, 2026

The Pennsylvania House passed HAP-supported legislation Wednesday that establishes a pathway to licensure for Certified Midwives (CM) in Pennsylvania.

Ahead of the vote, HAP submitted a letter of support for Senate Bill 507, calling the legislation a “key step toward expanding access to high-quality, maternal health care through pregnancy, labor and delivery, through the postpartum period, and improving maternal health outcomes.”

• What it does:  The legislation creates a path to licensure for certified midwives and allows midwives to prescribe certain medications for opioid use disorder.
• Vote count:  197–4
• Why it matters:  Establishing a licensure pathway strengthens the perinatal workforce and expands access to care for pregnant and postpartum patients.
  • Expanding treatment for opioid use disorder will help reduce risk of relapse, overdose, and death among pregnant and postpartum patients.
• Key stat:  Pennsylvania hospitals face shortages for advanced practice providers, including certified nurse midwives (19%) and other perinatal professionals. This number is higher in rural communities.
• Quotable:  “Improving maternal health outcomes in Pennsylvania will depend on strong partnerships between hospitals and policymakers to address the complex factors that impact care and access. SB 507 represents an important step in strengthening that partnership,” HAP noted in its letter of support.

The legislation heads to the governor’s desk for his signature. HAP thanks the Pennsylvania General Assembly for its bipartisan support of this bill to improve maternal health across the commonwealth.

Watch the discussion about the bill here. For questions, contact Arielle Chortanoff, vice president, state advocacy, or Sarah Lawver, senior director, state advocacy.