Five Bills have been introduced to continue imposing new regulations for midwives and birthing practitioners in Hawaii.
By maintaining licensing requirements instead of letting them hit the sunset provision (expiration), these measures prolong the regulatory framework that limits individuals' autonomy and stifles the natural flow of market dynamics in the midwifery field.
Read closely: These measures are cleverly worded to make the reader think they're doing us a favor by adding more provisions for midwifery and homebirth licensure. The reality is that if this bill and others like it are turned down, the regulatory framework will expire per “sunset laws”.
Let’s be clear: The Libertarian Party of Hawaii supports all freedom in birthing options including pale keiki, lola, and samba - as well as any birth-related service providers of their choosing. These choices are sacred and inherent in women’s rights. Parents and families must have the freedom to choose how they journey through their birthing experience without concern for burdensome regulations or mandates of any kind. We do not need a “home birth task force”; we need to recognize the right of a mother to make her own healthcare choices.
The legislature’s own quoted research condemns them at the beginning of HB1328:
“The legislature recognizes that, for many people, decisions about pregnancy and birth are informed by their personal or community history and culture and are experiences of great social, cultural, and spiritual significance. For many people, pregnancy and birth are not primarily medical events.”
From research highlighted by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis (June 2022):
“… legal access to culturally responsive care of the birthing person's choosing, including traditional practices of that person's culture, is strongly correlated with increased safety and well-being.”
Extending the licensure program welcomes more government interference in private healthcare practices and decisions. These bills would block Hawaii’s ability to transition to a deregulated environment that prioritizes individual freedom of choice and a competitive market driven by consumer demand rather than bureaucratic mandates.
How You Can Help:
We need your help to protect women’s choices in Hawaii. Follow the directions below to get started:
Click on the hyperlinks to familiarize yourself with the bills:
HB1328 “Continues a licensing scheme for licensed certified midwives and licensed certified professional midwives, to be overseen by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Reestablishes the home birth task force”
SB274 & HB407 & SB370 “Establishes a licensing scheme for licensed certified midwives and licensed certified professional midwives, to be overseen by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Reestablishes the home birth task force”
HB1194 “Makes midwife regulatory laws permanent. Clarifies the scope of practice of midwifery. Establishes licensure requirements for certified midwives and certified professional midwives.”
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