Legislators in the Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that could legalize midwifery in Alabama.

“[This is] a milestone for these mothers who want this freedom and the choice to have natural home childbirth, where it’s not restricted by the government,” Rep. Ken Johnson, R-Moulton, the bill’s sponsor, told AL.com.

For more than a decade, midwifery advocates have introduced legislation to decriminalize the practice, which has been illegal in the state since 1975.

The bill would allow certified midwives to practice legally, giving women the option of having an assisted home birth. Currently, home birth is only legal in Alabama if a midwife or other professional is not in attendance.

Legalizing midwifery is not only important to women who want the choice of a home birth, but crucial for women who have no other choice. According to AL.com, 49 percent of Alabama’s counties have no practicing obstetrician.

“The only way this has been possible is because Alabama mothers and fathers have really joined together to let their legislators know how much they want midwives in Alabama,” Courtney Sirmon, vice president of the Alabama Birth Coalition, told AL.com.