Alabama representatives passed a bill today that would allow midwives to legally practice in Alabama. Known informally as the decriminalization bill, HB 315 was passed 84-11 after a debate and several tabled amendments.

It's the first time a pro-midwife bill has made it to the House floor for a vote.

"It was a milestone for these mothers who want this freedom and the choice to have natural home childbirth, where it's not restricted by the government," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ken Johnson, R-Moulton.

Currently most midwives can't legally deliver babies in Alabama, and home birth is only legal if it is not attended by a midwife or other professional. Non-nurse midwives have not been able to legally practice in Alabama since 1975.

"The only way this has been possible is because Alabama mothers and fathers have really joined together to leg their legislators know how much they want midwives in Alabama," said Courtney Sirmon, vice president of the Alabama Birth Coalition, one of the main organizations pushing for the bill's passage.

"It's been exciting to see Alabamians come together on this, Republicans and Democrats. They see it's an important issue."

This bill would exempt midwives from criminal charges as long as they hold a current midwifery certification from an accredited organization. The bill would also make the practice of lay midwifery a criminal offense.

The bill passed after some debate on the floor. Most of the legislators who spoke lent their support of the bill.

Rep. Laura Hall (D-Madison) said "It's been a long road to even get to this point." Midwifery advocates have been introducing midwife decriminalization bills for more than a decade. She and several other representatives pointed out that they, too, were delivered by midwives.

Johnson pointed out that allowing midwives to legally practice would help alleviate the state's shortage of maternity care providers. Currently, 33 of Alabama's 67 counties have no practicing obstetrician.

Some legislators expressed concerns about how midwives would be regulated, and who would be overseeing issues like education, standards, and scope of practice.

Johnson referred them to his other midwife bill, HB 316, which would establish a State Board of Midwifery to regulate education standards and practice guidelines, as well as require midwives to receive the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) accreditation through a nationally-accredited program in order to get a license to practice in Alabama.

He said the bills were separated to make it easier for legislators to understand and potentially pass one or both.

"The decriminalization is just so simple, to take (midwifery) from being a crime to not being a crime," said Johnson of HB 315. "It's easy for people to support and understand, and can open the door to understanding for HB 316 to be heard fairly."

That bill passed out of committee last month with a favorable report but hasn't yet been scheduled for a vote.

The Medical Association of the State of Alabama has been the most outspoken critic of midwifery legalization bills in recent years and opposes HB 315 and 316.

"We are still very concerned about the ability o have home births in this state," said Mark Jackson, executive director of the association. "The decriminalization of the practice of midwifery will lead to more home births, and we have strong concerns about home birth in this state, regardless of who the provider of that service is."

The bill heads next to the state Senate.

*Updated at 8:13 p.m. on 4/25/2017 to include remarks from Rep. Ken Johnson.