SB17
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Create a new section of KRS Chapter 216B to define "freestanding birthing center"; require the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to promulgate administrative regulations to establish licensure standards for freestanding birthing centers; establish criteria for a medical director; establish requirements for obtaining written informed consent; require a written patient transfer agreement with a hospital that provides obstetric services; require a written patient transfer agreement with an emergency medical transportation service; exempt a center with…
Introduced: January 7, 2025
Last action: March 12, 2025
Plain-language summary
This bill creates a legal framework for freestanding birthing centers in Kentucky, requiring them to be licensed by the state and meet standards covering medical oversight, patient safety, and insurance. Centers must have a medical director, obtain written patient consent, carry malpractice insurance, and have transfer agreements in place with a nearby hospital offering obstetric care and with an emergency transport service. Small centers with four or fewer beds would not need to go through…
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Legislative History
Primary Sponsor
Co-sponsors (7)
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