Selina Bliss, Republican House Representative for Arizona’s Legislative District 1, said her midwife reform legislation aims to improve medication access and oversight for non-nurse midwives, following the 2023 home birth deaths of Jordan and Baby Mack Terry.
“These are two of my priority bills protecting moms and babies,” said Bliss. “I agree, let’s call this the Jordan-Mack Terry Law in honor of Mom Jordan and Baby Mack.”
Bliss shared this information in a post on X, emphasizing her priority bills aimed at protecting mothers and babies. The post refers to an ABC15 article detailing the reforms, which include expanded medication dispensing and annual reporting requirements for midwives. These legislative changes are motivated by cases such as the loss of Jordan Terry and her baby during a home birth in 2023.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), analyzed by ABC15, indicates that out-of-hospital births in Arizona increased nearly 40 percent over four years. The Arizona Department of Health Services licenses approximately 100 non-nurse midwives who must meet training standards through apprenticeships and certification. Home births account for between 0.50 to 0.99 percent of all deliveries in the state, with recent bills seeking to clarify practices and improve safety.
National Center for Health Statistics data shows that home births in the United States rose to 1.5 percent of all births by 2024. For low-risk pregnancies, planned home births have outcomes similar to birth centers, with lower intervention rates but potentially higher perinatal risks according to some studies. The nation’s maternal mortality rate is currently at 18.7 per 100,000 births, the highest among high-income countries.
Bliss serves as a Republican in the Arizona House of Representatives for District 1, a position she assumed in 2023 following her election in 2022. She holds a doctorate in nursing education from Capella University earned in 2014 after completing master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Arizona State University. Her professional experience includes 36 years as a nurse at Yavapai Regional Medical Center and 27 years teaching at Yavapai College.
