NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7332A
SPONSOR: Wright PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Facilitates the creation of an ongoing public awareness and education
program on doulas and how beneficial they are to pregnancies.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The public health law is amended by adding a new paragraph to section
207 to increase awareness on doulas.
JUSTIFICATION:
Maternal mortality has been a persistent issue that has plagued our
country. Unfortunately, in the United States racial disparities have
reinforced inequitable access to proper maternal care. This along with
other factors such as the community, facility, patient, and provider has
led to an increase in maternal deaths amongst Black women. A doula is a
trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and enlightening
support during pregnancy, delivery, and birth. They can help decrease
the maternal mortality rate especially for women with higher risk preg-
nancies.By establishing a doula awareness and education program more
people will be informed about what a doula is and how beneficial they
can be to a pregnancy. There are often gaps when providing individual-
ized attention to parents during labor. A doula can fill this gap by
providing continuous and personalized support to ensure the safety of
the birthgiver. The birth of a child is something so beautiful - some-
thing a parent should not have to lose their life for..By increasing
awareness of doulas and how they can improve pregnancy we can be saving
lives that do not need to be lost.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7332--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 25, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Health -- recommitted to the Committee on Health in accordance with
Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to including doula
awareness in the department of health's education and outreach program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 207 of the public health law is
2 amended by adding a new paragraph (t) to read as follows:
3 (t) The benefits of having a doula; a trained professional who
4 provides emotional, physical, and enlightening support during pregnancy,
5 delivery, and birth and the advantages of doulas in reducing mortality
6 rates for pregnant individuals and the increased risk of this occurring
7 for pregnant individuals who are primarily Black.
8 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10386-04-6
