.png)
Representative Boyd is planning to introduce the bill to license Certified and Certified Professional Midwives during Black Maternal Health Week, which is the week of April 11-17. The bill is currently being updated with the most recent feedback, to better reflect it's purpose of addressing Black maternal and infant mortality. Representative Boyd is having conversations with members of the House to find joint-sponsorship for the bill.
As a grassroots coalition, we plan to be at the Capitol on the 14th and 15th of April, when the House is in session. As soon as the bill is introduced, we will contact our local legislators to ask them to become sponsors. The more sponsors a piece of legislation has, the better.
What will happen once the bill is introduced?
It will be assigned to a committee and must be read twice. Once it is read several times it can be voted by the committee to go out of the committee to the floor for a vote. If it passes, then it moves onto the Senate for the same process. Finally, it is signed into law by the Governor. During the legislative process it is typical for amendments to be added. Both the House and the Senate must approve the most recent version of the bill (with any added amendments) in order for it to pass to become a law. All in all, it's quite a long and thorough process.