Bob Godfrey

A new law giving expecting mothers more access to high-quality maternal health services closer to home will take effect January 1, 2024. I had the honor of attending the bill signing for Public Act 23-147, An Act Protecting Maternal Health, which will license free-standing birth centers and allow them to operate in Connecticut. Governor Ned Lamont, joined by Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, came to the Connecticut Childbirth and Women's Center in Danbury for the occasion. These facilities will function independently and serve as an alternative to a traditional hospital for low-risk pregnancies and deliveries. I am proud to have voted for this bill, which passed in the House and Senate unanimously during the 2023 legislative session.

Specifically, this new law:

• Requires the Connecticut Department of Public Health to oversee the licensing of birth centers
• Prohibits anyone from establishing or operating a birth center unless it obtains a license
• Establishes a doula (a health official who provides emotional and physical support to women during pregnancy and childbirth) certification program administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health
• Directs the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood to design a statewide program for universal nurse home visiting, building on a pilot program in the Greater Bridgeport area that provides a population-level solution to offer care and services early in an infant’s life.

Because many hospitals are closing their maternity wards, there is a growing need for safe alternatives for an expecting parent. This law will have an immediate positive impact, and I am thrilled that it was signed into law.