On October 11, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom officially signed SB 520 into law, a powerful move toward expanding access to culturally responsive, community-rooted maternal care in California.  The bill, supported by Senator Anna Caballero, creates a dedicated fund to establishing new nurse-midwifery master programs across the state. These programs will help meet the growing demand for midwives, especially in underserved communities where birthing people continue to face signif

Nurse-midwives, or "certified nurse-midwives" (CNMs), are masters-prepared or doctorally-prepared nurses who have first completed...