Midwifery; provide further for the practice of midwifery and powers of the State Midwifery Board

HB 257 updates Alabama's midwifery regulations by expanding licensed midwives' practice settings and clarifying board authority. It allows licensed midwives to provide care in independent birth centers and administer certain newborn screening tests, directly affecting midwives and birth centers. The bill also authorizes the State Midwifery Board to accept gifts and grants, and repeals a section requiring coverage for midwifery services. These changes aim to modernize practice standards while maintaining reporting requirements for midwives, such as annual birth and transfer statistics. The bill is currently pending in the House Health Committee.