S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5992
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 24, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. PERSAUD, ADDABBO, FERNANDEZ, SEPULVEDA -- 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 permitting expect-
   ing  and  new  mothers'  access to their doulas and requiring maternal
   health care facilities provide a directory of available 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
 2500-l to read as follows:
   § 2500-L. ACCESS TO DOULAS. 1. WHEN A PERSON IS ADMITTED TO A MATERNAL
 HEALTH CARE FACILITY FOR DELIVERY AND/OR INPATIENT  CARE  POST-DELIVERY,
 SUCH PERSON MAY DESIGNATE A DOULA TO HAVE ACCESS TO SUCH PERSON AND SUCH
 PERSON'S  NEWBORN  INFANTS.  THE MATERNAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY SHALL NOT
 DENY SUCH PERSON ACCESS TO SUCH PERSON'S DESIGNATED DOULA  NOR  SHALL  A
 MATERNAL  HEALTH  CARE  FACILITY  DENY A DESIGNATED DOULA ACCESS TO SUCH
 PERSON OR SUCH PERSON'S NEWBORN INFANT REGARDLESS OF WHERE  SUCH  PERSON
 OR SUCH PERSON'S NEWBORN INFANT IS IN THE MATERNAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY.
 FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "MATERNAL HEALTH CARE FACILI-
 TY"  SHALL  MEAN  A  HOSPITAL  OR FREESTANDING BIRTHING CENTER PROVIDING
 PERINATAL SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE TWENTY-EIGHT OF THIS CHAP-
 TER AND APPLICABLE REGULATIONS.
   2. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REQUIRE ALL MATERNAL HEALTH CARE FACILITIES TO
 INCLUDE A DIRECTORY OF PRACTICING DOULAS ON THEIR WEBSITES. SUCH  DIREC-
 TORY  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  IS  NOT LIMITED TO, CONTACT INFORMATION, ANY
 CREDENTIALS HELD, LANGUAGES SPOKEN,  INSURANCE  ACCEPTED,  AND  SERVICES
 PROVIDED. THE INFORMATION SHALL BE:
   (A) POSTED ON THE HOSPITAL'S WEBSITE AS A PRINTABLE FILE;
   (B)  AVAILABLE  IN EACH PATIENT WAITING ROOM AS A PRINTED DELIVERABLE;
 AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10180-02-3
 S. 5992                             2
              

 
   (C) WRITTEN IN LAYPERSON'S LANGUAGE AND SHALL  BE  MADE  AVAILABLE  IN
 ENGLISH AND THE SIX MOST COMMON NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY INDIVID-
 UALS  WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN NEW YORK STATE AS BASED ON THE
 MOST RECENT CENSUS.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.