1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; requiring the commissioner of 
  1.3             health to study the establishment of a regulatory 
  1.4             system for freestanding birth centers.  
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [FREESTANDING BIRTH CENTER STUDY.] 
  1.7      The commissioner of health shall make recommendations to 
  1.8   the legislature on the establishment of a regulatory system for 
  1.9   freestanding birth centers.  In making these recommendations, 
  1.10  the commissioner shall examine the regulatory systems of birth 
  1.11  centers established in other states and in other countries.  The 
  1.12  commissioner shall also examine, to the extent possible, the 
  1.13  health outcomes of freestanding birth centers compared to 
  1.14  hospitals in terms of maternal, fetal, and neonatal health. 
  1.15     The recommendations must include: 
  1.16     (1) whether the establishment of freestanding birth centers 
  1.17  is feasible and desirable in terms of providing safe and 
  1.18  appropriate health care and providing health care alternatives 
  1.19  to childbearing families; and 
  1.20     (2) the type of regulatory system needed to ensure the 
  1.21  quality of the health care services provided.  
  1.22     The commissioner may convene an advisory group that is 
  1.23  representative of the parties who may be interested in the 
  1.24  establishment of freestanding birth centers, including but not 
  1.25  limited to, the Minnesota Nurses Association, the Minnesota 
  2.1   Medical Association, Minnesota Hospital and Healthcare 
  2.2   Partnership, Minnesota Families for Midwifery, Midwifery Now, 
  2.3   the Minnesota chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, 
  2.4   the National Association of Childbearing Centers, the Minnesota 
  2.5   Council of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Minnesota chapter 
  2.6   of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 
  2.7      The commissioner shall report these recommendations to the 
  2.8   legislature by January 15, 2002, including draft legislation on 
  2.9   any proposed regulatory process.