ARTICLE 24. Licensed Midwives [2505. - 2523.]

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC 24.
in effect

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2506. Section 2506.

As used in this article the following definitions shall apply: (a) “Board” means the Medical Board of California. (b) “Licensed midwife” means an individual to whom a license to practice midwifery has been issued pursuant to this article. (c) “Certified nurse-midwife” means a person to whom a certificate has been issued pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2746) of Chapter 6. (d) “Accrediting organization” means an organization approved by the board.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2507. Section 2507.

(a) The license to practice midwifery authorizes the holder to attend cases of normal pregnancy and childbirth, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), and to provide prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care, including family-planning care, for the mother, and immediate care for the newborn. (b) As used in this article, the practice of midwifery constitutes the furthering or undertaking by any licensed midwife to assist a woman in childbirth as long as progress meets criteria accepted as normal. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a licensed midwife shall only assist a woman in normal pregnancy and childbirth, which is defined as meeting all of the following conditions: (A) There is an absence of both of the following: (i) Any preexisting maternal disease or condition likely to affect the pregnancy. (ii) Significant disease arising from the pregnancy. (B) There is a singleton fetus. (C) There is a cephalic presentation. (D) The gestational age of the fetus is greater than 37 0 7 weeks and less than 42 0 7 completed weeks of pregnancy. (E) Labor is spontaneous or induced in an outpatient setting. (2) If a potential midwife client meets the conditions specified in subparagraphs (B) to (E), inclusive, of paragraph (1), but fails to meet the conditions specified in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), and the woman still desires to be a client of the licensed midwife, the licensed midwife shall provide the woman with a referral for an examination by a physician and surgeon trained in obstetrics and gynecology. A licensed midwife may assist the woman in pregnancy and childbirth only if an examination by a physician and surgeon trained in obstetrics and gynecology is obtained and the physician and surgeon who examined the woman determines that the risk factors presented by her disease or condition are not likely to significantly affect the course of pregnancy and childbirth. (3) The board shall adopt regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part of 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) specifying the conditions described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1). (c) (1) If at any point during pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum care a client’s condition deviates from normal, the licensed midwife shall immediately refer or transfer the client to a physician and surgeon. The licensed midwife may consult and remain in consultation with the physician and surgeon after the referral or transfer. (2) If a physician and surgeon determines that the client’s condition or concern has been resolved such that the risk factors presented by a woman’s disease or condition are not likely to significantly affect the course of pregnancy or childbirth, the licensed midwife may resume primary care of the client and resume assisting the client during her pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum care. (3) If a physician and surgeon determines the client’s condition or concern has not been resolved as specified in paragraph (2), the licensed midwife may provide concurrent care with a physician and surgeon and, if authorized by the client, be present during the labor and childbirth, and resume postpartum care, if appropriate. A licensed midwife shall not resume primary care of the client. (d) A licensed midwife shall not provide or continue to provide midwifery care to a woman with a risk factor that will significantly affect the course of pregnancy and childbirth, regardless of whether the woman has consented to this care or refused care by a physician or surgeon, except as provided in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c). (e) The practice of midwifery does not include the assisting of childbirth by any artificial, forcible, or mechanical means, nor the performance of any version of these means. (f) A midwife is authorized to directly obtain supplies and devices, obtain and administer drugs and diagnostic tests, order testing, and receive reports that are necessary to his or her practice of midwifery and consistent with his or her scope of practice. (g) This article does not authorize a midwife to practice medicine or to perform surgery.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2508. Section 2508.

(a) A licensed midwife shall disclose in oral and written form to a prospective client as part of a client care plan, and obtain informed consent for, all of the following: (1) All of the provisions of Section 2507. (2) The client is retaining a licensed midwife, not a certified nurse-midwife, and the licensed midwife is not supervised by a physician and surgeon. (3) The licensed midwife’s current licensure status and license number. (4) The practice settings in which the licensed midwife practices. (5) If the licensed midwife does not have liability coverage for the practice of midwifery, he or she shall disclose that fact. The licensed midwife shall disclose to the client that many physicians and surgeons do not have liability insurance coverage for services provided to someone having a planned out-of-hospital birth. (6) The acknowledgment that if the client is advised to consult with a physician and surgeon, failure to do so may affect the client’s legal rights in any professional negligence actions against a physician and surgeon, licensed health care professional, or hospital. (7) There are conditions that are outside of the scope of practice of a licensed midwife that will result in a referral for a consultation from, or transfer of care to, a physician and surgeon. (8) The specific arrangements for the referral of complications to a physician and surgeon for consultation. The licensed midwife shall not be required to identify a specific physician and surgeon. (9) The specific arrangements for the transfer of care during the prenatal period, hospital transfer during the intrapartum and postpartum periods, and access to appropriate emergency medical services for mother and baby if necessary, and recommendations for preregistration at a hospital that has obstetric emergency services and is most likely to receive the transfer. (10) If, during the course of care, the client is informed that she has or may have a condition indicating the need for a mandatory transfer, the licensed midwife shall initiate the transfer. (11) The availability of the text of laws regulating licensed midwifery practices and the procedure for reporting complaints to the Medical Board of California, which may be found on the Medical Board of California’s Internet Web site. (12) Consultation with a physician and surgeon does not alone create a physician-patient relationship or any other relationship with the physician and surgeon. The informed consent shall specifically state that the licensed midwife and the consulting physician and surgeon are not employees, partners, associates, agents, or principals of one another. The licensed midwife shall inform the patient that he or she is independently licensed and practicing midwifery and in that regard is solely responsible for the services he or she provides. (b) The disclosure and consent shall be signed by both the licensed midwife and the client and a copy of the disclosure and consent shall be placed in the client’s medical record. (c) The Medical Board of California may prescribe the form for the written disclosure and informed consent statement required to be used by a licensed midwife under this section.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2509. Section 2509.

The board shall create and appoint a Midwifery Advisory Council consisting of licensees of the board in good standing, who need not be members of the board, and members of the public who have an interest in midwifery practice, including, but not limited to, home births. At least one-half of the council members shall be California licensed midwives. The council shall make recommendations on matters specified by the board.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2510. Section 2510.

If a client is transferred to a hospital, the licensed midwife shall provide records, including prenatal records, and speak with the receiving physician and surgeon about labor up to the point of the transfer. The hospital shall report each transfer of a planned out-of-hospital birth to the Medical Board of California and the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative using a standardized form developed by the board.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2511. Section 2511.

(a) No person, other than one who has been licensed to practice midwifery by the board, shall hold himself or herself out as a licensed midwife, or use any other term indicating or implying that he or she is a licensed midwife. (b) Nothing in this article shall be construed to limit in any manner the practice of an individual to whom a certificate has been issued pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2746) of Chapter 6, or to prevent an individual to whom a certificate has been issued pursuant to Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 2746) of Chapter 6 from holding himself or herself out as a certified nurse-midwife, nurse midwife, midwife, or from using the initials “CNM.”

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2511.5. Section 2511.5.

Each application for licensure as a licensed midwife shall be made upon an online electronic form, or other form, provided by the board, and each application form shall contain a legal verification by the applicant certifying under penalty of perjury that the information provided by the applicant is true and correct and that any information in supporting documents provided by the applicant is true and correct.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2512.5. Section 2512.5.

A person is qualified for a license to practice midwifery when he or she satisfies one of the following requirements: (a) (1) Successful completion of a three-year postsecondary midwifery education program accredited by an accrediting organization approved by the board. Upon successful completion of the education requirements of this article, the applicant shall successfully complete a comprehensive licensing examination adopted by the board which is equivalent, but not identical, to the examination given by the American College of Nurse Midwives. The examination for licensure as a midwife may be conducted by the Division of Licensing under a uniform examination system, and the division may contract with organizations to administer the examination in order to carry out this purpose. The Division of Licensing may, in its discretion, designate additional written examinations for midwifery licensure that the division determines are equivalent to the examination given by the American College of Nurse Midwives. (2) The midwifery education program curriculum shall consist of not less than 84 semester units or 126 quarter units. The course of instruction shall be presented in semester or quarter units under the following formula: (A) One hour of instruction in the theory each week throughout a semester or quarter equals one unit. (B) Three hours of clinical practice each week throughout a semester or quarter equals one unit. (3) The midwifery education program shall provide both academic and clinical preparation equivalent, but not identical to that provided in programs accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives, which shall include, but not be limited to, preparation in all of the following areas: (A) The art and science of midwifery, one-half of which shall be in theory and one-half of which shall be in clinical practice. Theory and clinical practice shall be concurrent in the areas of maternal and child health, including, but not limited to, labor and delivery, neonatal well care, and postpartum care. (B) Communications skills that include the principles of oral, written, and group communications. (C) Anatomy and physiology, genetics, obstetrics and gynecology, embryology and fetal development, neonatology, applied microbiology, chemistry, child growth and development, pharmacology, nutrition, laboratory diagnostic tests and procedures, and physical assessment. (D) Concepts in psychosocial, emotional, and cultural aspects of maternal and child care, human sexuality, counseling and teaching, maternal and infant and family bonding process, breast feeding, family planning, principles of preventive health, and community health. (E) Aspects of the normal pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum period, newborn care, family planning or routine gynecological care in alternative birth centers, homes, and hospitals. (F) The following shall be integrated throughout the entire curriculum: (i) Midwifery process. (ii) Basic intervention skills in preventive, remedial, and supportive midwifery. (iii) The knowledge and skills required to develop collegial relationships with health care providers from other disciplines. (iv) Related behavioral and social sciences with emphasis on societal and cultural patterns, human development, and behavior related to maternal and child health, illness, and wellness. (G) Instruction shall also be given in personal hygiene, client abuse, cultural diversity, and the legal, social, and ethical aspects of midwifery. (H) The program shall include the midwifery management process, which shall include all of the following: (i) Obtaining or updating a defined and relevant data base for assessment of the health status of the client. (ii) Identifying problems based upon correct interpretation of the data base. (iii) Preparing a defined needs or problem list, or both, with corroboration from the client. (iv) Consulting, collaborating with, and referring to, appropriate members of the health care team. (v) Providing information to enable clients to make appropriate decisions and to assume appropriate responsibility for their own health. (vi) Assuming direct responsibility for the development of comprehensive, supportive care for the client and with the client. (vii) Assuming direct responsibility for implementing the plan of care. (viii) Initiating appropriate measures for obstetrical and neonatal emergencies. (ix) Evaluating, with corroboration from the client, the achievement of health care goals and modifying the plan of care appropriately. (b) Successful completion of an educational program that the board has determined satisfies the criteria of subdivision (a) and current licensure as a midwife by a state with licensing standards that have been found by the board to be equivalent to those adopted by the board pursuant to this article.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2513. Section 2513.

(a) An approved midwifery education program shall offer the opportunity for students to obtain credit by examination for previous midwifery education and clinical experience. The applicant shall demonstrate, by practical examination, the clinical competencies described in Section 2514 or established by regulation pursuant to Section 2514.5. The midwifery education program’s credit by examination policy shall be approved by the board, and shall be available to applicants upon request. The proficiency and practical examinations shall be approved by the board. Beginning January 1, 2015, new licensees shall not substitute clinical experience for formal didactic education. (b) Completion of clinical experiences shall be verified by a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife, and a physician and surgeon, all of whom shall be current in the knowledge and practice of obstetrics and midwifery. Physicians and surgeons, licensed midwives, and certified nurse-midwives who participate in the verification and evaluation of an applicant’s clinical experiences shall show evidence of current practice. The method used to verify clinical experiences shall be approved by the board. (c) Upon successful completion of the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2), the applicant shall also complete the licensing examination described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 2512.5.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2513.5. Section 2513.5.

The Medical Board of California shall submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of all applicants for a midwife license, as defined by Section 2507, to determine whether the applicant has a criminal conviction record in this state or in any other jurisdiction, including foreign countries, pursuant to Section 2042. The Department of Justice shall provide a state- and federal-level response pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code for the board to determine whether the applicant is subject to denial of licensure under the provisions of Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2514. Section 2514.

(a) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent a bona fide student from engaging in the practice of midwifery in this state, as part of his or her course of study, if both of the following conditions are met: (1) The student is under the supervision of a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife, who holds a clear and unrestricted license in this state, who is present on the premises at all times client services are provided, and who is practicing pursuant to Section 2507 or 2746.5, or a physician and surgeon. (2) The client is informed of the student’s status. (b) For the purposes of this section, a “bona fide student” means an individual who is enrolled and participating in a midwifery education program or who is enrolled in a program of supervised clinical training as part of the instruction of a three year postsecondary midwifery education program approved by the board.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2514.5. Section 2514.5.

(a) Within 60 days following January 1, 1998, the board shall adopt regulations setting forth educational requirements. To develop these regulations, the board shall update the educational requirements set forth in Sections 2512.5, 2513, and 2514. These updated sections shall reflect national standards for the practice of midwifery and shall be subject to public hearings prior to adoption. The board shall review and update the regulations every two years. (b) The board shall adopt the written examination required by this article by July 1, 1994.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2515. Section 2515.

The board shall approve specific educational programs intended to meet the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 2512.5 and Section 2514 for the course of academic study, documentation of experience and skill, and clinical evaluation. These programs shall also be accredited by an accrediting organization approved by the board.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2515.5. Section 2515.5.

Each applicant shall show by evidence satisfactory to the board that he or she has met the educational standards established by the board pursuant to this article or the equivalent thereof.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2516. Section 2516.

(a) Each licensed midwife who assists, or supervises a student midwife in assisting, in childbirth that occurs in an out-of-hospital setting shall annually report to the Department of Health Care Access and Information. The report shall be submitted no later than March 30, for the prior calendar year, in a form specified by the board and shall contain all of the following: (1) The midwife’s name and license number. (2) The calendar year being reported. (3) The following information with regard to cases in California in which the midwife, or the student midwife supervised by the midwife, assisted during the previous year when the intended place of birth at the onset of care was an out-of-hospital setting: (A) The total number of clients served as primary caregiver at the onset of care. (B) The number by county of live births attended as primary caregiver. (C) The number, by county, of cases of fetal demise, infant deaths, and maternal deaths attended as primary caregiver at the discovery of the demise or death. (D) The number of women whose primary care was transferred to another health care practitioner during the antepartum period, and the reason for each transfer. (E) The number, reason, and outcome for each elective hospital transfer during the intrapartum or postpartum period. (F) The number, reason, and outcome for each urgent or emergency transport of an expectant mother in the antepartum period. (G) The number, reason, and outcome for each urgent or emergency transport of an infant or mother during the intrapartum or immediate postpartum period. (H) The number of planned out-of-hospital births at the onset of labor and the number of births completed in an out-of-hospital setting. (I) The number of planned out-of-hospital births completed in an out-of-hospital setting that were any of the following: (i) Twin births. (ii) Multiple births other than twin births. (iii) Breech births. (iv) Vaginal births after the performance of a cesarean section. (J) A brief description of any complications resulting in the morbidity or mortality of a mother or a neonate. (K) Any other information prescribed by the board in regulations. (b) The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall maintain the confidentiality of the information submitted pursuant to this section, and shall not permit any law enforcement or regulatory agency to inspect or have copies made of the contents of any reports submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) for any purpose, including, but not limited to, investigations for licensing, certification, or regulatory purposes. (c) The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall report to the board, by April 30, those licensees who have met the requirements of subdivision (a) for that year. (d) The board shall send a written notice of noncompliance to each licensee who fails to meet the reporting requirement of subdivision (a). Failure to comply with subdivision (a) will result in the midwife being unable to renew their license without first submitting the requisite data to the Department of Health Care Access and Information for the year for which that data was missing or incomplete. The board shall not take any other action against the licensee for failure to comply with subdivision (a). (e) The board, in consultation with the Department of Health Care Access and Information and the Midwifery Advisory Council, shall devise a coding system related to data elements that require coding in order to assist in both effective reporting and the aggregation of data pursuant to subdivision (f). The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall utilize this coding system in its processing of information collected for purposes of subdivision (f). (f) The Department of Health Care Access and Information shall report the aggregate information collected pursuant to this section to the board by July 30 of each year. The board shall include this information in its annual report to the Legislature. (g) The board, with input from the Midwifery Advisory Council, may adjust the data elements required to be reported to better coordinate with other reporting systems, including the reporting system of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), while maintaining the data elements unique to California. To better capture data needed for the report required by this section, the concurrent use of systems, including MANA’s, by licensed midwives is encouraged. (h) Notwithstanding any other law, a violation of this section shall not be a crime.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2516.5. Section 2516.5.

(a) As used in this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Midwife assistant” means a person, who may be unlicensed, who performs basic administrative, clerical, and midwife technical supportive services in accordance with this chapter for a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife, is at least 18 years of age, and has had at least the minimum amount of hours of appropriate training pursuant to standards established by the board for a medical assistant pursuant to Section 2069. The midwife assistant shall be issued a certificate by the training institution or instructor indicating satisfactory completion of the required training. Each employer of the midwife assistant or the midwife assistant shall retain a copy of the certificate as a record. (2) “Midwife technical supportive services” means simple routine medical tasks and procedures that may be safely performed by a midwife assistant who has limited training and who functions under the supervision of a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife. (3) “Specific authorization” means a specific written order prepared by the supervising midwife or supervising nurse-midwife authorizing the procedures to be performed on a patient, which shall be placed in the patient’s medical record, or a standing order prepared by the supervising midwife or supervising nurse-midwife authorizing the procedures to be performed. A notation of the standing order shall be placed in the patient’s medical record. (4) “Supervision” means the supervision of procedures authorized by this section by a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife, within his or her scope of practice, who is physically present on the premises during the performance of those procedures. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a midwife assistant may do all of the following: (1) Administer medication only by intradermal, subcutaneous, or intramuscular injections and perform skin tests and additional technical support services upon the specific authorization and supervision of a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife. A midwife assistant may also perform all these tasks and services in a clinic licensed in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 1204 of the Health and Safety Code upon the specific authorization of a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife. (2) Perform venipuncture or skin puncture for the purposes of withdrawing blood upon specific authorization and under the supervision of a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife, if the midwife assistant has met the educational and training requirements for medical assistants as established in Section 2070. Each employer of the assistant shall retain a copy of any related certificates as a record. (3) Perform the following midwife technical support services: (A) Administer medications orally, sublingually, topically, or rectally, or by providing a single dose to a patient for immediate self-administration, and administer oxygen at the direction of the supervising licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife. The licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife shall verify the correct medication and dosage before the midwife assistant administers medication. (B) Assist in immediate newborn care when the licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife is engaged in a concurrent activity that precludes the licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife from doing so. (C) Assist in placement of the device used for auscultation of fetal heart tones when a licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife is engaged in a concurrent activity that precludes the licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife from doing so. (D) Collect by noninvasive techniques and preserve specimens for testing, including, but not limited to, urine. (E) Assist patients to and from a patient examination room, bed, or bathroom. (F) Assist patients in activities of daily living, such as assisting with bathing or clothing. (G) As authorized by the licensed midwife or certified nurse-midwife, provide patient information and instructions. (H) Collect and record patient data, including height, weight, temperature, pulse, respiration rate, blood pressure, and basic information about the presenting and previous conditions. (I) Perform simple laboratory and screening tests customarily performed in a medical or midwife office. (4) Perform additional midwife technical support services under regulations and standards established by the board. (c) (1) Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the licensure of midwife assistants. Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the administration of local anesthetic agents by a midwife assistant. Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing the board to adopt any regulations that violate the prohibitions on diagnosis or treatment in Section 2052. (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing a midwife assistant to perform any clinical laboratory test or examination for which he or she is not authorized under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1200). (d) Notwithstanding any other law, a midwife assistant shall not be employed for inpatient care in a licensed general acute care hospital as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2517. Section 2517.

A person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor violation of Section 2052, prior to the effective date of this article, shall not be barred from licensure under this article solely because of that conviction.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2518. Section 2518.

(a) Licenses issued pursuant to this article shall be renewable every two years upon payment of the fee prescribed by Section 2520 and submission of documentation that the licenseholder has completed 36 hours of continuing education in areas that fall within the scope of the practice of midwifery, as specified by the board. (b) Each license not renewed shall expire, but may be reinstated within five years from the expiration upon payment of the prescribed fee and upon submission of proof of the applicant’s qualifications as the board may require. (c) A licensee is exempt from the payment of the renewal fee required by Section 2520 and the requirement for continuing education if the licensee has applied to the board for, and been issued, a retired status license. The holder of a retired status license may not engage in the practice of midwifery.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2519. Section 2519.

The board may suspend, revoke, or place on probation the license of a midwife for any of the following: (a) Unprofessional conduct, which includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: (1) Incompetence or gross negligence in carrying out the usual functions of a licensed midwife. (2) Conviction of a violation of Section 2052, in which event, the record of the conviction shall be conclusive evidence thereof. (3) The use of advertising that is fraudulent or misleading. (4) Obtaining or possessing in violation of law, or prescribing, or except as directed by a licensed physician and surgeon, dentist, or podiatrist administering to themselves, or furnishing or administering to another, any controlled substance as defined in Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code or any dangerous drug as defined in Article 8 (commencing with Section 4210) of Chapter 9 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code. (5) The use of any controlled substance as defined in Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, or any dangerous drug as defined in Article 8 (commencing with Section 4210) of Chapter 9 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, or alcoholic beverages, to an extent or in a manner dangerous or injurious to themselves, any other person, or the public, or to the extent that this use impairs their ability to conduct with safety to the public the practice authorized by their license. (6) Conviction of a criminal offense involving the prescription, consumption, or self-administration of any of the substances described in paragraphs (4) and (5), or the possession of, or falsification of, a record pertaining to, the substances described in paragraph (4), in which event the record of the conviction is conclusive evidence thereof. (7) Commitment or confinement by a court of competent jurisdiction for intemperate use of or addiction to the use of any of the substances described in paragraphs (4) and (5), in which event the court order of commitment or confinement is prima facie evidence of such commitment or confinement. (8) Falsifying, or making grossly incorrect, grossly inconsistent, or unintelligible entries in any hospital, patient, or other record pertaining to the substances described in subdivision (a). (b) Procuring a license by fraud or misrepresentation. (c) Conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a midwife, as determined by the board. (d) Violating or attempting to violate, directly or indirectly, or assisting in or abetting the violation of, or conspiring to violate any provision or term of this chapter. (e) Making or giving any false statement or information in connection with the application for issuance of a license. (f) Impersonating any applicant or acting as proxy for an applicant in any examination required under this chapter for the issuance of a license or a certificate. (g) Impersonating another licensed practitioner, or permitting or allowing another person to use their license or certificate for the purpose of providing midwifery services. (h) Aiding or assisting, or agreeing to aid or assist any person or persons, whether a licensed physician or not, in the performance of, or arranging for, a violation of any of the provisions of Article 12 (commencing with Section 2221) of Chapter 5. (i) Failing to do any of the following when required pursuant to Section 2507: (1) Consult with a physician and surgeon. (2) Refer a client to a physician and surgeon. (3) Transfer a client to a hospital.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2519.5. Section 2519.5.

(a) Any complaint determined to involve quality of care, before referral to a field office for further investigation, shall meet both of the following criteria: (1) It shall be reviewed by one or more medical experts with the pertinent education, training, and expertise in midwifery to evaluate the specific standard of care issues raised by the complaint to determine if further field investigation is required. (2) It shall include the review of all of the following, which shall be requested by the board: (A) Relevant client records. (B) The statement or explanation of the care and treatment provided by the licensed midwife. (C) Any additional expert testimony or literature provided by the licensed midwife. (D) Any additional facts or information requested by the medical expert reviewers that may assist them in determining whether the care rendered constitutes a departure from the midwifery standards of care. (b) If the board does not receive the information requested pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) within 10 business days of requesting that information, the complaint may be reviewed by the medical experts and referred to a field office for investigation without the information. (c) Nothing in this section shall impede the board’s ability to seek and obtain an interim suspension order or other emergency relief.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2520. Section 2520.

(a) (1) The fee to be paid upon the filing of a license application shall be four hundred fifty dollars ($450). (2) For licenses that expire on or after January 1, 2022, the fee for renewal of the midwife license shall be three hundred dollars ($300). (3) The delinquency fee for renewal of the midwife license shall be 50 percent of the renewal fee in effect on the date of the renewal of the license, but not less than twenty-five dollars ($25) nor more than fifty dollars ($50). (4) The fee for the examination shall be the cost of administering the examination to the applicant, as determined by the organization that has entered into a contract with the board for the purposes set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 2512.5. Notwithstanding subdivision (c), that fee may be collected and retained by that organization. (b) The fee for monitoring a licensee on probation shall be the cost of monitoring, as fixed by the board. (c) The fees prescribed by this article shall be deposited in the Licensed Midwifery Fund, which is hereby established, and shall be available, upon appropriation, to the board for the purposes of this article.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2522. Section 2522.

(a) A person whose license has been voluntarily surrendered while under investigation or while charges are pending or whose license has been revoked or suspended or placed on probation, may petition the board for reinstatement or modification of penalty, including modification or termination of probation. (b) The person may file the petition after a period of not less than the following minimum periods have elapsed from the effective date of the surrender of the license or the decision ordering that disciplinary action: (1) At least three years for reinstatement of a license surrendered or revoked for unprofessional conduct, except that the board may, for good cause shown, specify in a revocation order that a petition for reinstatement may be filed after two years. (2) At least two years for early termination of probation of three years or more. (3) At least one year for modification of a condition, or reinstatement of a license surrendered or revoked for mental or physical illness, or termination of probation of less than three years. (c) The petition shall state any facts as may be required by the board. The petition shall be accompanied by at least two verified recommendations from midwives licensed in any state who have personal knowledge of the activities of the petitioner since the disciplinary penalty was imposed. (d) The petition may be heard by a panel of the board. The board may assign the petition to an administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code. After a hearing on the petition, the administrative law judge shall provide a proposed decision to the board, which shall be acted upon in accordance with Section 2335. (e) The panel of the board or the administrative law judge hearing the petition may consider all activities of the petitioner since the disciplinary action was taken, the offense for which the petitioner was disciplined, the petitioner’s activities during the time the license was in good standing, and the petitioner’s rehabilitative efforts, general reputation for truth, and professional ability. The hearing may be continued from time to time as the administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code finds necessary. (f) The administrative law judge designated in Section 11371 of the Government Code reinstating a license or modifying a penalty may recommend the imposition of any terms and conditions deemed necessary. (g) No petition shall be considered while the petitioner is under sentence for any criminal offense, including any period during which the petitioner is on court-imposed probation or parole. No petition shall be considered while there is an accusation or petition to revoke probation pending against the person. The board may deny without a hearing or argument any petition filed pursuant to this section within a period of two years from the effective date of the prior decision following a hearing under this section.

Cal. Business and Professions Code - BPC § 2523. Section 2523.

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), the board shall revoke the license of any person who has been required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code for conduct that occurred on or after January 1, 2017. (b) This section shall not apply to a person who is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code solely because of a misdemeanor conviction under Section 314 of the Penal Code. (c) This section shall not apply to a person who has been relieved under Section 290.5 of the Penal Code of his or her duty to register as a sex offender, or whose duty to register has otherwise been formally terminated under California law. (d) A proceeding to revoke a license pursuant to this section shall be conducted in accordance with chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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