Bill Text: NY S03344 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
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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: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2019-12-13 - tabled [S03344 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S03344-Introduced.html
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. LBD01668-01-9S. 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.