Bill Text: NY A00364 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Authorizes the professional certification of doulas; only those certified may provide doula services defined as continuous emotional and physical support provided by a certified doula throughout labor and birth, and intermittently during the prenatal and postpartum periods.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-1)

Status: (Vetoed) 2019-12-13 - tabled [A00364 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A00364-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           364
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 9, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M. of A. PAULIN, GOTTFRIED, GALEF, JAFFEE, L. ROSENTHAL,
          COOK, SEAWRIGHT, ARROYO, BLAKE, DICKENS, PICHARDO,  THIELE,  McDONOUGH
          -- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public  health law, in relation to professional
          certification of doulas
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
     2  2509 to read as follows:
     3    § 2509. Certified doulas. 1. Definitions. As used in this section:
     4    (a) "Certified doula" means an individual certified under this section
     5  who provides certified doula services.
     6    (b) "Certified doula services" means continuous emotional and physical
     7  support provided by a certified doula throughout labor  and  birth,  and
     8  intermittently during the prenatal and postpartum periods.
     9    2.  Use  of title. Only a person certified under this section shall be
    10  authorized to use the title "certified doula".
    11    3. Requirements for a professional  certification.  To  qualify  as  a
    12  certified doula, an applicant shall fulfill the following requirements:
    13    (a) Application: file an application with the department.
    14    (b) Education: satisfactorily:
    15    (i)  complete  an  educational program, in accordance with the commis-
    16  sioner's regulations; or
    17    (ii) submit evidence of certification, the educational preparation for
    18  which is determined by the department to be equivalent to the foregoing,
    19  from any state or country, satisfactory to the department and in accord-
    20  ance with the commissioner's regulations.
    21    (c) Examination: pass an examination satisfactory  to  the  department
    22  and in accordance with the commissioner's regulations.
    23    (d) Age: be at least eighteen years of age.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01668-01-9
        A. 364                              2
     1    (e) Character: be of good moral character as determined by the depart-
     2  ment.
     3    (f) Fee: pay a fee of forty dollars to the department for admission to
     4  a  department  conducted  examination  for  an initial license, a fee of
     5  forty dollars for each re-examination, a fee of  forty  dollars  for  an
     6  initial  license  for  persons  not  requiring admission to a department
     7  conducted examination, and a fee of ten dollars for a limited permit.
     8    4. Limited permit:
     9    (a) A limited permit to  practice  certified  doula  services  may  be
    10  granted  for  a  period not to exceed twelve months to an individual who
    11  has to the satisfaction of the department met all  the  requirements  of
    12  subdivision three of this section except passing the examination.
    13    (b)  A  limited  permit  shall  entitle  the  holder to practice doula
    14  services only under the direct supervision of a certified doula.
    15    § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become  a
    16  law.  Effective immediately, the commissioner of health shall make regu-
    17  lations and take other actions reasonably necessary  to  implement  this
    18  act on such date.