SB 34 was signed into law this spring by the Governor and allows the Board of Nursing and Medical Board to grant waivers for Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) attending home births and following specified guidelines from their required written collaborative agreement with physicians. Without this law CNMs in the state were unable to assist home birth families legally.

Since the law went into effect on July 1, CNM, Jeanne Prentice, has received the waiver and is assisting home birth families in the Black Hills. SDSCO continues our efforts to recruit more CNMs to the state as we also pursue legislation to license Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) who specialize in home birth. It is our goal to make all safe childbirth options available to South Dakota families.