03/26/2007 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

                                                                                                                                
     HOUSE BILL NO. 35                                                                                                          
     "An Act extending the termination date for the Board of                                                                    
     Certified Direct-Entry Midwives; and providing for an                                                                      
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This was  the first hearing for  this bill in the  Senate Finance                                                               
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman reminded Members  that the Senate companion bill                                                               
to this bill,  SB 81-EXTEND BOARD OF MIDWIVES,  had reported from                                                               
Committee on March 13. Absent  any objection to the contrary, the                                                               
intent  is that  this bill  report from  Committee and  "join up"                                                               
with SB 81 in the Senate Rules Committee.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:03:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT KAWASAKI, the  bill's sponsor, affirmed that                                                               
HB 35  and SB  81 were  companion bills. HB  35 would  extend the                                                               
termination  date   for  the  Board  of   Certified  Direct-Entry                                                               
Midwives eight years, to the year 2015.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Kawasaki  advised  that this  cost-neutral  Board                                                               
addresses issues pertinent to the  current 36 practicing midwifes                                                               
in  the State.  He urged  passage  of the  bill as  the Board  is                                                               
beneficial to  the public and the  profession. Representatives of                                                               
the  midwifery profession  and the  Legislative Budget  and Audit                                                               
Committee  were   available  to   testify  to  the   benefits  of                                                               
continuing the Board.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman informed  the  Committee that  the fiscal  note                                                               
accompanying HB  35 differed from  the one accompanying SB  81 in                                                               
that HB 35's fiscal note  correctly depicted the fiscal impact on                                                               
the FY  2007 (FY 07) budget.  Thus, the intent was  to eventually                                                               
meld the House fiscal note with the Senate version of the bill.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  moved to  report the  bill from  Committee with                                                               
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Huggins  objected in  order  to  learn how  to  properly                                                               
pronounce the bill sponsor's name.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Kawasaki complied.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Huggins removed his objection.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Olson   objected  in   order   to   hear  a   midwifery                                                               
professional's perspective about the Board.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:08:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KAYE  KANNE, Certified  Direct-Entry Midwife,  Executive Director                                                               
of  the Juneau  Family Birth  Center, and  representative of  the                                                               
Midwifes Association  of Alaska, informed the  Committee that, in                                                               
addition  to helping  establish the  Board, she  had served  as a                                                               
Board member for eight years.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:08:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  asked the  difference  between  a midwife  and  a                                                               
certified direct-entry midwife.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Kanne divulged  that,  while most  countries  only have  one                                                               
midwife  classification, the  United  States  has two:  certified                                                               
nurse midwifes  and certified direct-entry midwifes  who are also                                                               
referred  to in  some  states as  licensed midwifes.  Originally,                                                               
certified nurse midwifes worked  in hospitals under a physician's                                                               
supervision.  Eventually, the  midwifery profession  was expanded                                                               
as the need "to serve women in their homes" was recognized.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Kanne informed  that the  two midwifery  classifications are                                                               
melding today.  Certified direct-entry midwifes have  become more                                                               
professional  and a  licensure process  has  been established  in                                                               
practically  every  state.  Certified   nurse  midwives  are  now                                                               
working in birth centers as well as managing home births.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Kanne disclosed that  because certified direct-entry midwifes                                                               
were  originally   apart  from  the  medical   profession,  their                                                               
clinical  training   requirements  are  more  extensive   than  a                                                               
certified  nurse midwife  "or even  a  physician". The  midwifery                                                               
licensure requirements  include attending  a specified  number of                                                               
births and apprenticeship programs.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson removed his objection.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
There  being  no  further  objection, HB  35  was  REPORTED  from                                                               
Committee  with  previous zero  fiscal  note  #1 from  the  House                                                               
Finance Committee  for the Department of  Commerce, Community and                                                               
Economic Development.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman reiterated  that the  intent was  to eventually                                                               
attach HB 35's fiscal note #1 with SB 81.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:10:24 AM