Bill > H5021

This bill establishes a Maternal Health Justice Fund, administered by the Department of Public Health, to expand and manage the doula workforce, defining a "perinatal doula" as a trained professional offering non-medical physical, emotional, and informational support during and after pregnancy, childbirth, and loss. The fund will be financed by state appropriations and non-state sources like gifts and grants, and its money will not revert to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. Funds will be used to compensate support staff at the department, provide scholarships for individuals seeking doula certification from approved programs (prioritizing marginalized and low-income applicants, and those in underserved areas), support maternal health workforce development agencies, and assist existing community-based doula programs. The Department of Public Health will also create and maintain a list of doula certification programs eligible for scholarships, outlining required competencies that include knowledge of pregnancy and childbirth, emotional support strategies, non-clinical coping mechanisms, communication with healthcare providers, awareness of community resources, and HIPAA compliance, as well as education on health equity, implicit bias, racism, reproductive justice, cultural sensitivity, trauma-informed care, parental mental health, disability needs, sexual and gender identities, and social determinants of health.

Health and Social Services

Joint Committee on Financial Services (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5021