Advocacy Correspondence: PA House Professional Licensure Committee, Legislation with HAP Support

On behalf of Arielle Chortanoff
SUBJECT: HAP Supports SB 507, HB 1251, HB 1961, HB 1980

October 27, 2025

Members of the House Professional Licensure Committee:

On behalf of the more than 235 member hospitals and health systems, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) writes today in support of the following bills to be considered by the committee:

• Senate Bill 507, sponsored by Senator Rosemary Brown
• House Bill 1251, sponsored by Representative Gina Curry
• House Bill 1961, sponsored by Representative Robert Merski
• House Bill 1980, sponsored by Representative Paul Takac

Modernization of Midwifery Practice

HAP supports Senate Bill 507 (Brown), establishing a pathway to licensure for Certified Midwives (CNM) in Pennsylvania, as a key step toward expanding access to high-quality care, maternal health care, and improving maternal health outcomes across the commonwealth. Specifically, the legislation will:

• Bridge Workforce Gaps in Maternal Health Care:  Nearly all (97 percent) births in Pennsylvania occur in hospitals, yet the obstetrics and gynecology workforce faces severe and persistent shortages that jeopardize access to care. Hospitals report substantial vacancies among advanced practice providers, including certified nurse midwives (19 percent) and other perinatal professionals. This number is higher in rural communities. Establishing a licensure pathway for CNMs will strengthen the perinatal workforce and expand access to safe, timely care for pregnant and postpartum patients.
• Address Behavioral Health as a Leading Cause of Maternal Mortality:  Substance use disorder and other behavioral health challenges are leading causes of maternal mortality in Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 507 establishes parameters for CNMs to prescribe certain medications used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), a vital tool in improving continuity of care during and after pregnancy. This provision will help to reduce risk of relapse, overdose, and death among pregnant and postpartum patients with OUD.

HAP also supports House Bill 1251 (Curry), permitting nurse midwives to refer patients to physical therapy, increasing access to the care continuum for pregnant and postpartum patients.

Improving maternal health outcomes in Pennsylvania depends on strong partnerships between hospitals and policymakers to address the complex factors that impact care and access. Together, SB 507 and HB 1251 represent a visible and important step in strengthening that partnership.

Support for Rural Health

In response to steep cuts in federal Medicaid funding, the federal reconciliation bill created the Rural Health Transformation Fund, a $50 billion fund to be distributed to states—following an application process—over five years beginning in 2026 with the goal of improving health care access, quality, and outcomes in rural regions across the nation. House Bill 1961 (Merski) would authorize Pennsylvania to join the Physician Assistant Compact, and House Bill 1980 (Takac) would require physicians in Pennsylvania to take one hour of continuing medical education (CME) in nutrition each two-year licensing period—both pieces of legislation would positively impact the commonwealth’s federal funding application.

HAP supports HB 1961 and HB 1980, which together would strengthen the commonwealth’s ability to secure needed funding through the Rural Health Transformation Fund.

Please vote yes on these meaningful pieces of legislation.

Please feel free to reach out to me or Sarah Lawver, HAP’s senior director, state advocacy, if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

 

Arielle Chortanoff
Vice President, State Advocacy

 

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Topics: Public Health, Rural Health Care

Revision Date: 10/27/2025

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