New York State Assembly

 
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A01019 Summary:

A01019 Actions:

A01019 Committee Votes:

Committee:RULES   Chair:Glick      
DATE:01/14/2025AYE/NAY:29/0  Action: Favorable         
Heastie
Excused
Barclay
Aye
Pretlow
Aye
Hawley
Aye
Cook
Aye
Blankenbush
Aye
Glick
Aye
Ra
Aye
Dinowitz
Aye
Brabenec
Aye
Colton
Aye
Palmesano
Aye
Magnarelli
Aye
Reilly
Aye
Paulin
Aye
Smith
Aye
Peoples-Stokes
Aye
Jensen
Aye
Benedetto
Aye
Lavine
Aye
Lupardo
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Davila
Excused
Hyndman
Aye
Rozic
Aye
Bronson
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Hunter
Aye
Taylor
Aye
Cruz
Aye
Vanel
Aye

Committee:HEALTH   Chair:Paulin      
DATE:01/14/2025AYE/NAY:25/0  Action: Favorable refer to committee Rules        
Paulin
Aye
Jensen
Aye
Dinowitz
Aye
Gandolfo
Aye
Rosenthal
Aye
Blumencranz
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Gray
Excused
Steck
Aye
Maher
Aye
Braunstein
Aye
Slater
Aye
Solages
Aye
Chludzinski
Aye
Bichotte Hermel
Aye
Norber
Aye
Sayegh
Aye
McDonald
Aye
Reyes
Aye
Gonzalez-Rojas
Aye
Rajkumar
Aye
Forrest
Aye
Kelles
Aye
Lucas
Aye
Meeks
Aye
Lunsford
Aye

A01019 Floor Votes:

A01019 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
 submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)



 
BILL NUMBER: A1019
 
SPONSOR: Solages

 
TITLE OF BILL:
 
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to doula access
during emergency situations
 
 
PURPOSE:
 
To make changes to the access requirement of doulas within maternal
healthcare facilities.
 
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
 
This bill would clarify that a maternal health care facility is not
required to grant a doula access to a person or area of the facility
during emergencies or when access could compromise the safety of the
patient or healthcare team.
 
 
JUSTIFICATION:

Doulas can play a crucial role in supporting birthing people and fami-
lies, and deploying doulas has proven to be an effective strategy in
addressing racial disparities in maternal healthcare by reducing severe
maternal morbidity and mortality. Ensuring that doula's can practice
within hospitals expands their job opportunities and allows them to
fulfill their responsibilities.
 
This bill would make changes to align with federal regulations and best
adhere with patient safety and discretion of the medical provider as in
certain circumstances limited access to visitors may be best served.
 
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
 
This is a new bill.
 
 
BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:
 
None noted.
 
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as a
chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public health law relating to
permitting expecting and new mothers' access to their doulas, as
proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 5992-A and A .6168-A, takes
effect.

A01019 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          1019
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                       (Prefiled)
 
                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Health
 
        AN ACT to amend the public health  law,  in  relation  to  doula  access
          during emergency situations
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 2500-m of the public health law, as  amended  by  a
     2  chapter  of  the laws of 2024 amending the public health law relating to
     3  permitting expecting  and  new  mothers'  access  to  their  doulas,  as
     4  proposed  in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.  5992-A  and A. 6168-A, is
     5  amended to read as follows:
     6    § 2500-m. Access to doulas. (a) When a person is admitted to a  mater-
     7  nal  health care facility for delivery and/or inpatient care post-deliv-
     8  ery, such person may designate a doula to have access  to  such  person.
     9  The  maternal  health care facility shall not deny such person access to
    10  such person's designated doula.  For the purposes of this  section,  the
    11  term "maternal health care facility" shall mean a hospital or freestand-
    12  ing  birthing  center  providing  perinatal  services in accordance with
    13  article twenty-eight of this chapter and applicable regulations.
    14    (b) Nothing in this section  shall  require  a  maternal  health  care
    15  facility  to  grant  a  doula access to a person or area of the facility
    16  during emergencies or when such access could compromise  the  safety  of
    17  the patient or health care team.
    18    §  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
    19  manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the public  health  law
    20  relating  to  permitting  expecting  and  new  mothers'  access to their
    21  doulas, as proposed in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.  5992-A  and  A.
    22  6168-A, takes effect.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02834-01-5

A01019 LFIN:

 
NO LFIN

A01019 Chamber Video/Transcript: