MATERNITY LEGISLATION
"Birth in the Natural State"
It's your birth. Know your options.
Support Arkansas Legislation for Transparency in Maternity Care!
March 16, 2009: Bill set for review in the Senate Public Health Committee
Senate Bill 787: AN ACT TO ENSURE THAT MATERNITY PATIENTS ARE INFORMED OF THE TYPES AND RISKS OF BIRTHING METHODS.
This is a bill that would require hospitals to provide information related to the types of birthing methods and their associated risks including vaginal delivery and cesarean section deliveries. Hospitals will be required to publish their rates of c-section, induction, and many other interventions, and these would then be published on the Department of Health website. This kind of transparency in maternity care has been shown to promote quality improvement measures and is an essential indgredient to informed choice.
We need you to contact your legislators right now in support of this bill, especially they sit on the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare and Labor. To find out who your Senator or Representative is, and to see if he or she sits on this important committee, please visit: http://www.arkansas.gov/government_rep_search.php
Please Call your Legislators Now!
A list of Senators, Representatives and their contact information can also be found on the Arkansas Breastfeeding Coalition website. If you are not sure which district you live in, there is a link on this page to help you.
E-mail is an effective way to contact your legislator. If you contact your legislator by e-mail, include "Support SB 787" in the subject line. If you would rather (and for those legislators without an e-mail address) you can call 501-682-2902 to leave a message for your Senator, and 501-682-6211 to leave a message for your Representative.
Your message can be very simple and need only include your name, address and that you support SB 787. Some legislators do not have voicemail, and in such a case you can leave a message with the office staff. Remember, legislators pay attention when their constituents contact them!
Looking for a local birth professional?
Check out our Local Online Resource Guide.
BirthNetwork of Northwest Arkansas
A Chapter of BirthNetwork National
