Penn Yan is once again at the center of a statewide fight over home births. A touring documentary about local midwife Elizabeth Catlin rolled into town this week and quickly revived the debate over who should be allowed to attend births at home in New York, and how aggressively the state should police them. The screening drew residents and advocates who argue that current licensing rules push some experienced birth attendants into the shadows and shrink options for rural families. Now state lawmakers are under fresh pressure to decide whether to create a separate license for certified professional midwives.
Arrest the Midwife, directed by Elaine Epstein, tracks Catlin's arrest, indictment and eventual plea and is traveling the country, with a PBS release later this year reported at the Penn Yan event. As reported by Spectrum News Rochester, Catlin was arrested in 2018 and later indicted on dozens of counts before ultimately pleading guilty to a single count of unlawful practice of a profession. Dozens of locals turned out for the screening, where supporters said the film is meant to nudge lawmakers toward a different way of thinking about home birth care.
What the bill would do
At the heart of the political push is Senate Bill S5542, which would create a new licensed profession of “certified professional midwife.” The measure defines CPM practice as management of normal pregnancies, childbirth and postpartum care in homes, birth centers and community settings, and lays out specific licensing requirements for that work. According to the New York State Senate, the bill would amend the Education and Public Health laws, add CPMs to the roster of recognized health professionals and require collaborative relationships with physicians or hospitals. Sponsors say licensing CPMs would open up options in maternity-care deserts while formalizing a training pipeline for community-based care.
Training and access hurdles
Right now, getting licensed as a midwife in New York is a steep climb. The New York State Education Department requires a master’s or higher degree from a program registered or accredited for licensure, plus passage of the national board exam. The agency outlines required coursework and certifying programs and notes SUNY Downstate as one training option. Advocates counter that with most graduate programs clustered in New York City, would-be midwives from rural regions or tight-knit faith communities face travel, time and financial barriers that are hard to clear.
Criminal cases and community reaction
The legal fallout from home birth practice has split parts of the community. Yates County District Attorney Todd Casella told Spectrum News Rochester that his office undertook a wide-ranging investigation and that co-defendants in the midwifery cases ended up in very different places. “She went to trial here and she was convicted here of the unlawful practice of midwifery and also, tampering and hindering prosecution,” he said of one defendant, noting that another later reduced a felony plea to a misdemeanor with interim probation. Supporters at the screening argued those prosecutions highlight the need for clear, statewide rules so experienced attendants are not pushed underground.
Where the film goes from here
The filmmakers are using festival stops and community screenings as conversation starters, and the project’s website lists upcoming dates along with impact resources. For lawmakers, the concrete decision is whether to pass S5542, an active bill now sitting in the Senate Higher Education Committee, and turn it into law. Backers say that would give rural families more regulated options for community births. Whatever happens in Albany, the Penn Yan showing made one thing clear: childbirth policy here is tangled up with culture, geography and whom people trust to be in the room when a baby arrives.
