These are our membership numbers as of January 2019.
We represent the following Islands:
Oʻahu: 11 Midwives, 14 student midwives.
Kauai: 1 midwife.
Maui: 2 midwives, 7 student midwives.
Hawaiʻi Island: 10 midwives and 7 student midwives.
TAKE ACTION campaign 2023
be sure to Register for the Hawai'i state legislature to submit supportive testimony for our bills
***SOVEREIGN’S LAW***
HIHBC is proud to introduce “Sovereign’s Law” named after Sovereign, a young community member who has been testifying in support of traditional Midwifery since she was 8 years old and aspires to become a Traditional Midwife for her community.
The 2023 Legislative Session has begun and HIHBCs efforts towards Respecting and Protecting Reproductive Choices in whom and how they birth their babies is a topic we have focused on for years. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have been offered a bill entitled Sovereign’s Law. Alongside the availability of Licensure for Midwives in the state of Hawai’i, these bills aim to expand access to the licensure by recognizing the Portfolio Evaluation Program (PEP) pathway to CPM certification to and permanently preserve the legality of the “Traditional Birth Attendant” in assisting families in the birth which may suit their belief systems best. These bills are modeled after Oregon State’s incredibly comprehensive Midwifery Laws which are long standing and have helped create bridges between home birth and hospital facilities.
hb955-hd1 has been scheduled for a hearing with the house Consumer protection committee on 2/16/2023 at 2pm!
Testimony must be submitted by 2/15/23 at 2pm if community members want to receive the zoom link to view the hearing.
HB955 passed the house health committee on 2/8/2023 with amendments. the amendments can be viewed above in the House Bill 955 HD1 link
Many thanks to House Health Chair Della Au Belatti for hearing and passing our bill forward to the House Consumer Protection Committee. It is crucial that the House Consumer Protection Committee schedule a hearing for this bill!
YOUR LEGISLATOR NEEDS TO HEAR ABOUT THESE BILLS BECAUSE IN BETWEEN COMMITTEES THE BILLS GO TO A “FLOOR VOTE”, WHERE ALL THE LEGISLATORS ARE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND EITHER SUPPORT OR STAND IN OPPOSITION FOR PROPOSED LAWS.
Send your legislator an email letting them know about the Hawaii Home Birth Task Force Report AND about Sovereign’s Law, HB955 and SB1047. Share with them that you are a member of the Hawaii Home Birth Collective and that it is important to you and future generations that Midwifery in Hawaii respect and permanently exempt Traditional Midwifery pathway through the exemption of Birth Attendants serving our community! Offer to share YOUR story, or why it is important to YOU. The main concern of the state and the hospital authority is based in safety. Reassure them that safety can exist through various lenses when it comes to something as sacred and personal as childbirth, as does risk. Hawaii’s diversified network of Midwives stand in integrity and do not need comparison numbers to the medical system in order to justify the means of preservation, though those numbers are now public knowledge. See the bottom of this page for more talking points and let your legislators know that you believe in the preservation and protection of traditional and cultural birthing practices and that you would like to hear back from them, too!
February 2nd and 3rd, 2023
Maui County Council voted to adopt Resolution 23-28 urging the legislature to enact a stature permanently exempting birth attendants from state licensure requirements.
February 21st, Hawai’i isle will present and vote on a similar resolution and february 22nd, kauai will follow suit.
talking points for emails and phone calls
- Hawai’i’s family deserve access to SAFE, legal midwifery care more than ever and you can provide this for your constituents by supporting SB1047 AND HB955
- There is a major physician shortage across our island chain. The community midwives serve our already under served and remote locations.
- Our task force findings showed SAFETY in homebirth in the state of Hawai’i
- There are different ways to safely practice midwifery.
- The increased desire for women to birth outside of the hospital due to COVID-19 requires that there be available legal midwives of all types because women are still going to choose the midwife that is right for them.
- By recognizing the Traditional Birth Attendant, and adding the Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) to acquire a CPM certification, we preserve the ability of qualified midwives to practice legally in Hawai’i.
- The Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) pathway is recognized by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) as a legitimate way for students to obtain a CPM certification and makes a local pathway for those seeking licensure.
Any other thoughts? Feel free to add them to your email.