Activists urge Hochul to sign birth center bill before the New Year

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Midwives and activists are asking the governor to sign a bill that would effectively legalize midwife-led birth centers in New York State before the ball drops tonight and renders the unsigned law useless.

In 2016, the state government voted to amend public health laws to legalize freestanding, midwife-led birth centers. But the regulations imposed on the facilities are so restrictive that none have opened since the initial bill was signed.