Doula Workforce Development

HB 1043 2026

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hb1043-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to doula workforce development; 2
creating s. 456.65, F.S.; providing legislative 3
findings and intent; establishing the Doula Workforce 4
Development Support Program within the Department of 5
Commerce for specified purposes; providing 6
definitions; providing requirements for grant funding 7
and the use of such funds; providing requirements for 8
the department to administer the program; requiring 9
the department to submit a certain report to the 10
Governor and the Legislature by a specified date 11
annually; authorizing the department to require grant 12
recipients to submit certain data; authorizing the 13
department to adopt certain rules; providing an 14
appropriation; providing an effective date. 15
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 17
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Section 1. Section 456.65, Florida Statutes, is created to 19
read: 20
456.65 Doula Workforce Development Support Program.— 21
(1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.— 22
(a) The Legislature finds that maternal health challenges 23
are worsening in this state as it continues to see increased 24
maternal mortality and morbidity rates. Minority families face 25

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the highest disparities, with Black women experiencing death 26
rates 2 to 3 times higher than their White counterparts. 27
(b) The Legislature finds that doulas have been shown to 28
improve maternal and infant health outcomes, reduce preventable 29
complications, increase prenatal care engagement, and strengthen 30
postpartum recovery. 31
(c) The Legislature further finds that existing doula 32
training organizations, community-based doula programs, 33
nonprofit entities, and private educational institutions serve a 34
critical role in building a maternal health workforce but are 35
under-resourced. Supporting these entities through the state's 36
workforce development infrastructure is essential to meeting 37
regional maternal health needs, especially in urban high-38
disparity counties, rural maternity-care deserts, and regions 39
experiencing hospital closures or obstetric service reductions. 40
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to expand this 41
state's doula workforce, especially in rural, minority, and 42
other underserved communities, through strategic investment in 43
the entities best positioned to train and deploy doulas. 44
(2) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM.— 45
(a) The Doula Workforce Development Support Program is 46
established within the Department of Commerce to fund, 47
strengthen, and expand existing doula training programs, doula 48
organizations, and community-based birthing services providers. 49
(b) The program must prioritize support for entities 50

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serving high-need regions, including: 51
1. Urban counties with high maternal morbidity 52
disparities. 53
2. Rural areas with limited or no obstetric providers or 54
maternity wards. 55
3. Communities affected by recent hospital closures or 56
reductions in maternity services. 57
(3) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 58
(a) "Department" means the Department of Economic 59
Opportunity. 60
(b) "Doula" means a nonmedical birth support professional 61
trained to give physical and emotional support in childbirth. 62
(c) "Doula training entity" means a nonprofit organization, 63
community-based program, training collective, academic 64
institution, or private educational provider that conducts doula 65
training, mentoring, continuing education, or workforce 66
placement activities. 67
(d) "Doula workforce support services" includes instructor 68
compensation, curriculum development, program expansion, 69
administrative support, business development training for 70
doulas, mentoring, apprenticeship structures, evaluation and 71
data activities, and related capacity-building functions. 72
(e) "High-need region" means a county or region identified 73
by the department as having elevated maternal morbidity rates, 74
limited maternity care providers, or insufficient doula 75

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availability. 76
(4) GRANTS, ELIGIBILITY, USE OF FUNDS.—The department may 77
award competitive or formula-based grants to eligible doula 78
training entities to support doula workforce development. 79
(a) Grant funds may be used for: 80
1. Training, mentoring, or apprenticeship program 81
expansion. 82
2. Instructor compensation and curriculum modernization. 83
3. Recruitment and support of trainees from high-need 84
regions. 85
4. Program administration, evaluation, and outreach. 86
5. Business development training for doulas, including 87
assistance with incorporation, insurance, marketing, and 88
entrepreneurship. 89
6. Stipends or workforce support for newly trained doulas, 90
administered through the eligible entity. 91
7. Partnership development with hospitals, Medicaid 92
managed care plans, clinics, community health workers, Healthy 93
Start Coalitions, or other maternal health providers. 94
(b) The department may not use funds to directly recruit, 95
hire, or employ doulas as state employees or contractors 96
providing clinical services. 97
(5) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—The department shall establish 98
application procedures, grant criteria, allowable costs, 99
reporting requirements, and monitoring processes. In developing 100

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grant criteria, the department shall consider all of the 101
following: 102
(a) The demonstrated capacity of the entity to train or 103
mentor doulas. 104
(b) The geographic areas served and the documented need 105
for doula workforce expansion. 106
(c) The entity's experience serving culturally diverse and 107
high-disparity populations. 108
(d) Partnerships with local workforce development boards 109
or educational institutions. 110
(e) Plans for sustainability and long-term workforce 111
placement. 112
(6) REPORTS.— 113
(a) By December 1 of each year, the department shall 114
submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, 115
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that includes 116
all of the following information: 117
1. Grant recipients and award amounts. 118
2. The number of doulas trained, mentored, or supported by 119
funded entities. 120
3. The geographic distribution of program activities. 121
4. Workforce outcomes, including business development 122
successes and job placements. 123
5. Recommendations for program improvements. 124
(b) The department may require grant recipients to submit 125

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data necessary to compile the report. 126
(7) RULES.—The department may adopt rules to implement 127
this section. 128
Section 2. (1) For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the 129
nonrecurring sum of $7.5 million from the General Revenue Fund 130
is appropriated to the Department of Economic Opportunity to 131
implement s. 456.65, Florida Statutes, relating to the Doula 132
Workforce Development Support Program. 133
(2) From the funds appropriated in subsection (1): 134
(a) Up to $500,000 may be used by the department for 135
administrative expenses, program management, technical 136
assistance to grantees, and data collection and evaluation 137
activities necessary to carry out the program. 138
(b) The remaining funds shall be placed in a grants and 139
aids for doula workforce development support category and 140
distributed as competitive or formula-based grants to eligible 141
doula training entities in accordance with s. 456.65, Florida 142
Statutes, with priority given to entities serving high-need 143
regions as defined in that section. 144
(3) Any appropriated funds that have not been expended or 145
encumbered by June 30, 2027, shall revert to the General Revenue 146
Fund. 147
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. 148