Bill Text: NY S03344 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Bill 3344 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

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: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2019-12-13 - tabled [S03344 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S03344-Introduced.html

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3344
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    February 5, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  RAMOS  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Women's Issues
        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.
    24    (e) Character: be of good moral character as determined by the depart-
    25  ment.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01668-01-9

        S. 3344                             2
     1    (f) Fee: pay a fee of forty dollars to the department for admission to
     2  a department conducted examination for an  initial  license,  a  fee  of
     3  forty  dollars  for  each  re-examination, a fee of forty dollars for an
     4  initial license for persons not  requiring  admission  to  a  department
     5  conducted examination, and a fee of ten dollars for a limited permit.
     6    4. Limited permit:
     7    (a)  A  limited  permit  to  practice  certified doula services may be
     8  granted for a period not to exceed twelve months to  an  individual  who
     9  has  to  the  satisfaction of the department met all the requirements of
    10  subdivision three of this section except passing the examination.
    11    (b) A limited permit  shall  entitle  the  holder  to  practice  doula
    12  services only under the direct supervision of a certified doula.
    13    §  2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
    14  law. Effective immediately, the commissioner of health shall make  regu-
    15  lations  and  take  other actions reasonably necessary to implement this
    16  act on such date.