DEFINITIONS

In this chapter: (1) "Advisory board" means the Midwives Advisory Board. (2) "Certified nurse-midwife" means a person who is: (A) a registered nurse under Chapter 301; (B) recognized as an advanced nurse practitioner by the Texas Board of Nursing; and (C) certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. (3) "Commission" means the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation. (4) "Department" means the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. (4-a) "Executive director" means the executive director of the department. (5) "Local health department" means a department of health created by the governing body of a municipality or a county under Section 121.031, Health and Safety Code. (6) "Midwife" means a person who practices midwifery and has met the licensing requirements established by this chapter and commission rules. (7) "Midwifery" means the practice of: (A) providing the necessary supervision, care, and advice to a woman during normal pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; (B) conducting a normal delivery of a child; and (C) providing normal newborn care. (8) "Newborn" means an infant from birth through the first six weeks of life. (9) "Normal" means, as applied to pregnancy, labor, delivery, the postpartum period, and the newborn period, and as defined by commission rule, circumstances under which a midwife has determined that a client is at a low risk of developing complications. (10) "Postpartum period" means the first six weeks after a woman has given birth.