---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relates to accreditation, approval, and operation of midwifery birth centers"
description: "Provides that the commissioner of health shall approve the operating certificate of a midwifery birth center which is accredited by a recognized accrediting organization."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ny"
legislature: "New York Legislature"
session: "2021-2022"
identifier: "A 259"
citation: "New York A 259 (2021-2022)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["GOTTFRIED"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 15
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-01-06"
last_action: "2021-12-31"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3c5911ab-e026-4dc4-b85d-1955e3772435"
source_url: "http://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/A259"
source_hash: "e5ca8c9c5eefb8222ab48ea5e2dbc9c18352cf843cf8d2670e07d9476ed0f3cf"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ny"]
---

# New York A 259 (2021-2022) — Relates to accreditation, approval, and operation of midwifery birth centers

Provides that the commissioner of health shall approve the operating certificate of a midwifery birth center which is accredited by a recognized accrediting organization.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **A259** (committee substitute) — [source](http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?sh=printbill&bn=A259&term=2021&Text=Y)
2. **A259A** (committee substitute) — [source](http://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2021/A259A)

## Votes

- Assembly Vote — **149–0** (pass) · lower
- Floor Vote - Version: A — **63–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- GOTTFRIED — primary (person)
- AUBRY — cosponsor (person)
- BARRON — cosponsor (person)
- BICHOTTE HERMELYN — cosponsor (person)
- BRONSON — cosponsor (person)
- DICKENS — cosponsor (person)
- GALEF — cosponsor (person)
- GONZALEZ-ROJAS — cosponsor (person)
- PAULIN — cosponsor (person)
- SEAWRIGHT — cosponsor (person)
- SIMON — cosponsor (person)
- SOLAGES — cosponsor (person)
- THIELE — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-01-06** REFERRED TO HEALTH `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-03** AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HEALTH `amendment-passage, referral-committee`
- **2021-02-03** PRINT NUMBER 259A `amendment-passage`
- **2021-02-24** REPORTED
- **2021-02-25** ADVANCED TO THIRD READING CAL.117
- **2021-03-08** PASSED ASSEMBLY `passage`
- **2021-03-08** DELIVERED TO SENATE
- **2021-03-08** REFERRED TO HEALTH `referral-committee`
- **2021-05-20** SUBSTITUTED FOR S1414A
- **2021-05-20** 3RD READING CAL.658
- **2021-05-20** PASSED SENATE `passage`
- **2021-05-20** RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
- **2021-12-20** DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR `executive-receipt`
- **2021-12-31** SIGNED CHAP.821 `executive-signature`
- **2021-12-31** APPROVAL MEMO.161

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3c5911ab-e026-4dc4-b85d-1955e3772435`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New York legislature records).