148G.13 GROUNDS FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

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Subdivision 1.Grounds listed.

The board may deny, revoke, suspend, limit, or condition the license of any person to practice certified midwifery under this chapter or otherwise discipline a licensee or applicant as described in section 148G.14. The following are grounds for disciplinary action:

(1) failure to demonstrate the qualifications or satisfy the requirements for a license contained in this chapter or rules of the board. In the case of an applicant for licensure, the burden of proof is upon the applicant to demonstrate the qualifications or satisfaction of the requirements;

(2) employing fraud or deceit in procuring or attempting to procure a license to practice certified midwifery;

(3) conviction of a felony or gross misdemeanor reasonably related to the practice of certified midwifery. Conviction, as used in this subdivision, includes a conviction of an offense that if committed in this state would be considered a felony or gross misdemeanor without regard to its designation elsewhere, or a criminal proceeding where a finding or verdict of guilt is made or returned, but the adjudication of guilt is either withheld or not entered;

(4) revocation, suspension, limitation, conditioning, or other disciplinary action against the person’s certified midwife credential in another state, territory, or country; failure to report to the board that charges regarding the person’s certified midwifery license, certification, or other credential are pending in another state, territory, or country; or failure to report to the board having been refused a license or other credential by another state, territory, or country;

(5) failure or inability to practice as a certified midwife with reasonable skill and safety, or departure from or failure to conform to standards of acceptable and prevailing certified midwifery practice, including failure of a certified midwife to adequately supervise or monitor the performance of acts by any person working at the certified midwife’s direction;

(6) engaging in unprofessional conduct, including but not limited to a departure from or failure to conform to statutes relating to certified midwifery practice or to the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing certified midwifery practice, or engaging in any certified midwifery practice that may create unnecessary danger to a patient’s life, health, or safety. Actual injury to a patient need not be established under this clause;

(7) supervision or accepting the supervision of a midwifery function or a prescribed health care function when the acceptance could reasonably be expected to result in unsafe or ineffective patient care;

(8) actual or potential inability to practice certified midwifery with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness; by the reason of use of alcohol, drugs, chemicals, or any other material; or as a result of any mental or physical condition;

(9) adjudication as mentally incompetent, mentally ill, a chemically dependent person, or a person dangerous to the public by a court of competent jurisdiction, within or outside of Minnesota;

(10) engaging in any unethical conduct, including but not limited to conduct likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public, or demonstrating a willful or careless disregard for the health, welfare, or safety of a patient. Actual injury need not be established under this clause;

(11) engaging in conduct with a patient that is sexual or may reasonably be interpreted by the patient as sexual, in any verbal behavior that is seductive or sexually demeaning to a patient, or in sexual exploitation of a patient or former patient;

(12) obtaining money, property, or services from a patient, other than reasonable fees for services provided to the patient, through the use of undue influence, harassment, duress, deception, or fraud;

(13) revealing a privileged communication from or relating to a patient except when otherwise required or permitted by law;

(14) engaging in abusive or fraudulent billing practices, including violations of federal Medicare and Medicaid laws or state medical assistance laws;

(15) improper management of patient records, including failure to maintain adequate patient records, to comply with a patient’s request made pursuant to sections 144.291 to 144.298, or to furnish a patient record or report required by law;

(16) knowingly aiding, assisting, advising, or allowing an unlicensed person to engage in the unlawful practice of certified midwifery;

(17) violating a rule adopted by the board, an order of the board, a state or federal law relating to the practice of certified midwifery, or a state or federal narcotics or controlled substance law;

(18) knowingly providing false or misleading information to a patient that is directly related to the care of that patient unless done for an accepted therapeutic purpose such as the administration of a placebo;

(19) aiding suicide or aiding attempted suicide in violation of section 609.215 as established by any of the following:

(i) a copy of the record of criminal conviction or plea of guilty for a felony in violation of section 609.215, subdivision 1 or 2;

(ii) a copy of the record of a judgment of contempt of court for violating an injunction issued under section 609.215, subdivision 4;

(iii) a copy of the record of a judgment assessing damages under section 609.215, subdivision 5; or

(iv) a finding by the board that the person violated section 609.215, subdivision 1 or 2. The board must investigate any complaint of a violation of section 609.215, subdivision 1 or 2;

(20) practicing outside the scope of certified midwifery practice as defined under section 148G.03, subdivision 5;

(21) making a false statement or knowingly providing false information to the board, failing to make reports as required by section 148G.15, or failing to cooperate with an investigation of the board as required by section 148G.17;

(22) engaging in false, fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading advertising;

(23) failure to inform the board of the person’s certification or recertification status as a certified midwife;

(24) engaging in certified midwifery practice without a license and current certification or recertification by the American Midwifery Certification Board or any successor organization; or

(25) failure to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with a patient. A certified midwife must not engage in practices that create an unacceptable risk of patient harm or of the impairment of a certified midwife’s objectivity or professional judgment. A certified midwife must not act or fail to act in a way that, as judged by a reasonable and prudent certified midwife, inappropriately encourages the patient to relate to the certified midwife outside of the boundaries of the professional relationship or in a way that interferes with the patient’s ability to benefit from certified midwife services. A certified midwife must not use the professional relationship with a patient, student, supervisee, or intern to further the certified midwife’s personal, emotional, financial, sexual, religious, political, or business benefit or interests. §

Subd. 2.Conviction of a felony-level criminal sexual offense.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (e), the board must not grant or renew a license to practice certified midwifery to any person who has been convicted on or after August 1, 2014, of any of the provisions of section 609.342, subdivision 1 or 1a; 609.343, subdivision 1 or 1a; 609.344, subdivision 1 or 1a, paragraphs (c) to (g); 609.345, subdivision 1 or 1a, paragraphs (c) to (g); or a similar statute in another jurisdiction.

(b) A license to practice certified midwifery is automatically revoked if the licensee is convicted of an offense listed in paragraph (a).

(c) A license to practice certified midwifery that has been denied or revoked under this subdivision is not subject to chapter 364.

(d) For purposes of this subdivision, “conviction” means a plea of guilty, a verdict of guilty by a jury, or a finding of guilty by the court, unless the court stays imposition or execution of the sentence and final disposition of the case is accomplished at a nonfelony level.

(e) The board may establish criteria whereby an individual convicted of an offense listed in paragraph (a) may become licensed if the criteria:

(1) utilize a rebuttable presumption that the applicant is not suitable for licensing;

(2) provide a standard for overcoming the presumption; and

(3) require that a minimum of ten years has elapsed since the applicant’s sentence was discharged.

(f) The board must not consider an application under paragraph (e) if the board determines that the victim involved in the offense was a patient or a client of the applicant at the time of the offense. §

Subd. 3.Evidence.

In disciplinary actions alleging a violation of subdivision 1, clause (3) or (4), or 2, a copy of the judgment or proceeding under the seal of the court administrator or of the administrative agency that entered the same is admissible into evidence without further authentication and constitutes prima facie evidence of the violation concerned. §

Subd. 4.Examination; access to medical data.

(a) If the board has probable cause to believe that grounds for disciplinary action exist under subdivision 1, clause (8) or (9), it may direct the applicant or certified midwife to submit to a mental or physical examination or chemical dependency evaluation. For the purpose of this subdivision, when a certified midwife licensed under this chapter is directed in writing by the board to submit to a mental or physical examination or chemical dependency evaluation, that person is considered to have consented and to have waived all objections to admissibility on the grounds of privilege. Failure of the applicant or certified midwife to submit to an examination when directed constitutes an admission of the allegations against the applicant or certified midwife, unless the failure was due to circumstances beyond the person’s control, and the board may enter a default and final order without taking testimony or allowing evidence to be presented. A certified midwife affected under this paragraph must, at reasonable intervals, be given an opportunity to demonstrate that the competent practice of certified midwifery can be resumed with reasonable skill and safety to patients. Neither the record of proceedings nor the orders entered by the board in a proceeding under this paragraph may be used against a certified midwife in any other proceeding.

(b) Notwithstanding sections 13.384, 144.651, and 595.02, or any other law limiting access to medical or other health data, the board may obtain medical data and health records relating to a certified midwife or applicant for a license without that person’s consent if the board has probable cause to believe that grounds for disciplinary action exist under subdivision 1, clause (8) or (9). The medical data may be requested from a provider, as defined in section 144.291, subdivision 2; an insurance company; or a government agency, including the Department of Human Services or Direct Care and Treatment. A provider, insurance company, or government agency must comply with any written request of the board under this subdivision and is not liable in any action for damages for releasing the data requested by the board if the data are released pursuant to a written request under this subdivision, unless the information is false and the provider giving the information knew or had reason to believe the information was false. Information obtained under this subdivision is classified as private data on individuals as defined in section 13.02.

History:

1Sp2025 c 3 art 3 s 96

History: History:

  1Sp2025 c 3 art 3 s 96