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Read. Follow. Verify.Ohio Senate Bill 438 establishes licensing and practice requirements for certified midwives and freestanding birthing centers
Last action · May 20, 2026: Referred to HealthSponsor: Michele Reynolds
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What This Bill Would Do
Senator Reynolds introduced Senate Bill 438 to regulate the practice of midwifery, establish statutory requirements for s, set s, and designate May 5th as the "Day of the Midwife."
The bill alters licensing standards, prescribing authorities, and operational rules for midwives and birthing centers across the state, impacting health care providers and patients utilizing maternal and newborn services.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
certified midwives
Certified midwives become subject to new licensing, scope of practice, standard care arrangement, and adverse incident reporting requirements.
licensed midwives
Licensed midwives are regulated under the department of commerce with specific practice standards, transfer plans, and reporting duties.
freestanding birthing centers
Freestanding birthing centers must comply with quality standards, staffing rules, and mandatory hospital transfer plans.
Key Facts
- Designates May 5th as the "Day of the Midwife."
- Establishes licensing requirements for certified midwives under the board of nursing and licensed midwives under the department of commerce.
- Requires freestanding birthing centers to maintain a written plan for the transfer of a mother or newborn to a hospital in emergency situations.
- Mandates that certified midwives and licensed midwives report adverse incidents and annual statistics regarding out-of-hospital births beginning July 1, 2027.
Show all 5 facts
- Establishes prescribing authorities, standard care arrangement requirements, and exclusionary formulary restrictions for certified midwives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new licensing categories does SB 438 create or regulate?
Are midwives required to have hospital transfer plans under the bill?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
2 actions- May 20, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred to Health
- May 13, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Midwifery and Birthing Center Regulation
The legislation introduces formal licensing requirements, scope of practice limits, and mandatory adverse incident reporting for both certified midwives and licensed midwives.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legislature.ohio.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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