Eubanks, Frazier to introduce bills to expand access to nurse midwives

JACKSON, Miss. — Two Mississippi lawmakers are preparing to introduce legislation they say is urgently needed to address the state’s worsening maternal health crisis. Rep. Dan Eubanks (R-Walls) and Sen. Hillman Frazier (D-Jackson) will hold a news conference Thursday, Jan. 29, at 11 a.m. on the second floor of the Mississippi State Capitol to unveil HB 1576 and SB 2553, companion bills designed to increase the number of certified nurse midwives practicing in the state.

The legislation comes as Mississippi faces mounting scrutiny over its restrictive collaborative practice agreement law, which requires certified nurse midwives to obtain approval from a physician in order to practice. The state is currently named in a federal lawsuit alleging the law constitutes an unfair trade practice by limiting nurse practitioners’ ability to work within their licensed scope. The Federal Trade Commission has also issued a letter supporting that claim.

Mississippi consistently ranks last in key maternal and infant health outcomes, including cesarean delivery rates, preterm births, low birth weight, and maternal and infant mortality. The state also ranks 50th in the number of midwives and obstetrical physicians per capita. More than half of Mississippi’s 82 counties lack obstetrical physicians, nurse midwives, or hospitals offering maternity care, and none have freestanding birth centers.

Rep. Eubanks said the shortage is especially severe in rural areas. “In Rankin County, for every 10,000 women of childbearing age there are 14.6 physicians, compared with only four physicians in DeSoto County, my district,” he said. “Only a handful of certified nurse midwives practice in the state because the collaborative practice agreement makes it virtually prohibitive.”

Under current law, a certified nurse midwife must secure a physician’s approval—often from someone who is a direct competitor—to practice. Lawmakers say physicians frequently refuse to collaborate or charge steep fees for agreements that involve no actual oversight or patient interaction. As a result, few midwives are able to work, leaving many women with limited or no access to maternity care.

Supporters of the legislation argue that the collaborative practice requirement does not improve patient safety or outcomes. Instead, they say it restricts provider choice, increases costs, and blocks the state from implementing new maternal health initiatives. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid recently received a major federal grant to expand access to certified nurse midwives and birth centers, but officials say the goals are unattainable under current law.

“The only context in which certified nurse midwives can possibly work is under the thumb of a physician,” Eubanks said. “And we’ve got to change that in order to end the maternal crisis before it worsens. That will only happen when we exempt them from the collaborative practice agreement law.”

The news conference is open to the public and media.