Assembly Bill A11147

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   11147
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 8, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON  RULES  -- (at request of M. of A. Paulin,
   Gottfried,  Galef,  Jaffee,  L. Rosenthal,  Cook,  Seawright,  Arroyo,
   Blake,  Dickens, Pichardo, Thiele, McDonough, Errigo) -- 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:
 
   Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding  a  new  section
 2509 to read as follows:
   § 2509. CERTIFIED DOULAS. 1. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
   (A) "CERTIFIED DOULA" MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL CERTIFIED UNDER THIS SECTION
 WHO PROVIDES CERTIFIED DOULA SERVICES.
   (B) "CERTIFIED DOULA SERVICES" MEANS CONTINUOUS EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL
 SUPPORT  PROVIDED  BY  A CERTIFIED DOULA THROUGHOUT LABOR AND BIRTH, AND
 INTERMITTENTLY DURING THE PRENATAL AND POSTPARTUM PERIODS.
   2. USE OF TITLE. ONLY A PERSON CERTIFIED UNDER THIS SECTION  SHALL  BE
 AUTHORIZED TO USE THE TITLE "CERTIFIED DOULA".
   3.  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  A  PROFESSIONAL  CERTIFICATION. TO QUALIFY AS A
 CERTIFIED DOULA, AN APPLICANT SHALL FULFILL THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:
   (A) APPLICATION: FILE AN APPLICATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
   (B) EDUCATION: SATISFACTORILY:
   (I) COMPLETE AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, IN ACCORDANCE  WITH  THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER'S REGULATIONS; OR
   (II) SUBMIT EVIDENCE OF CERTIFICATION, THE EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR
 WHICH IS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO BE EQUIVALENT TO THE FOREGOING,
 FROM ANY STATE OR COUNTRY, SATISFACTORY TO THE DEPARTMENT AND IN ACCORD-
 ANCE WITH THE COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS.
   (C)  EXAMINATION:  PASS  AN EXAMINATION SATISFACTORY TO THE DEPARTMENT
 AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMISSIONER'S REGULATIONS.
   (D) AGE: BE AT LEAST EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
   (E) CHARACTER: BE OF GOOD MORAL CHARACTER AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPART-
 MENT.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD16207-01-8

 A. 11147                            2
 
   (F) FEE: PAY A FEE OF FORTY DOLLARS TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR ADMISSION TO
 A DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED EXAMINATION FOR AN  INITIAL  LICENSE,  A  FEE  OF
 FORTY  DOLLARS  FOR  EACH  RE-EXAMINATION, A FEE OF FORTY DOLLARS FOR AN
 INITIAL LICENSE FOR PERSONS NOT  REQUIRING  ADMISSION  TO  A  DEPARTMENT
 CONDUCTED EXAMINATION, AND A FEE OF TEN DOLLARS FOR A LIMITED PERMIT.
   4. LIMITED PERMIT:
   (A)  A  LIMITED  PERMIT  TO  PRACTICE  CERTIFIED DOULA SERVICES MAY BE
 GRANTED FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED TWELVE MONTHS TO  AN  INDIVIDUAL  WHO
 HAS  TO  THE  SATISFACTION OF THE DEPARTMENT MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF
 SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION EXCEPT PASSING THE EXAMINATION.
   (B) A LIMITED PERMIT  SHALL  ENTITLE  THE  HOLDER  TO  PRACTICE  DOULA
 SERVICES ONLY UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A CERTIFIED DOULA.
   §  2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law. Effective immediately, the commissioner of health shall make  regu-
 lations  and  take  other actions reasonably necessary to implement this
 act on such date.