VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

• Code of Virginia
• Virginia Administrative Code
• Constitution of Virginia
• Charters
• Authorities
• Compacts
• Uncodified Acts
• RIS Users (account required)

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

• Bills & Resolutions
  session legislation
• Bill Summaries
  session summaries
• Reports to the General Assembly
  House and Senate documents
• Legislative Liaisons
  State agency contacts

ACROSS SESSIONS

• Subject Index: Since 1995
• Bills & Resolutions: Since 1994
• Summaries: Since 1994

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2020 SESSION

• history | hilite | pdf | print version

20106550D
HOUSE BILL NO. 687 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions on January 30, 2020) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Aird) A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 32.1-77.1, relating to doulas; certification.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 32.1-77.1 as follows:

§ 32.1-77.1. State-certified doulas; certification.

A. As used in this section, "state certified doula" means a trained, community-based nonmedical professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a pregnant person during the antepartum or intrapartum period or during the period up to one year postpartum and who has been certified by a body approved by the Board for such purpose in accordance with the provisions of this section.

B. No person shall use or assume the title "state certified doula" unless such person is a community-based doula who (i) has received training and education as a doula from an entity approved by a body approved by the Board for such purpose and (ii) has been certified as a doula by a body approved by the Board for such purpose.

C. No entity shall hold itself out as providing training and education necessary to meet the requirements of clause (i) of subsection B unless its curriculum and training program has been approved by a body approved by the Board for such purpose.

D. The Board shall adopt regulations setting forth the requirements for (i) use of the title "state certified doula" and (ii) training and education necessary to satisfy the requirements for certification by the Department as a state-certified doula.

E. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B, a person who is certified by a national credentialing organization that is approved by a body approved by the Board for such purpose who does not meet the requirements of clause (i) of subsection B shall also be eligible for state certification.  

F. Certification requirements for state-certified doulas shall reflect national best practices pertaining to community-based doula training and certification.

G. The Department shall make a registry of state-certified doulas in the Commonwealth available to the public through a body approved by the Board to certify doulas. The Department shall also make a list of entities approved to provide training and education necessary to meet the requirements of clause (i) of subsection B available to the public through a body approved by the Board to certify doulas.

H. Nothing in this section shall prohibit any person from practicing as a doula in the Commonwealth, regardless of whether such person is certified in accordance with the provisions of this act.