Read the full stored bill text
Florida Senate
-
2026
CS for SB 514
By
the Committee on Health Policy; and Senator Osgood
588-02412-26 2026514c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Doula Support for Healthy
3 Births pilot program; creating s. 383.295, F.S.;
4 defining terms; establishing the pilot program in
5 Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties for a
6 specified purpose, subject to a specific appropriation
7 in the General Appropriations Act; providing the
8 purpose of the pilot program; requiring the Department
9 of Health, in collaboration with its maternal and
10 child health section, to implement and oversee the
11 pilot program; specifying the duration of the pilot
12 program, based on appropriated funds; requiring the
13 pilot program to target specified populations for
14 enrollment; specifying services that must be provided
15 under the pilot program; requiring the department to
16 collaborate with specified entities to integrate doula
17 services into existing maternal health programs and
18 facilitate outreach and service delivery; authorizing
19 the department to integrate doula services into
20 existing maternal and child health programs as an
21 expansion of the pilot program, subject to certain
22 requirements; creating the Doula Certification Task
23 Force within the department for a specified purpose;
24 requiring the department to oversee and provide
25 administrative support to the task force; providing
26 for membership and meetings of the task force;
27 specifying duties of the task force; requiring the
28 task force to submit a final report of its findings
29 and recommendations to the Governor and the
30 Legislature by a specified date; providing for
31 expiration of the task force; providing an effective
32 date.
33
34 WHEREAS, preterm birth is defined as a live birth before 37
35 completed weeks of gestation and is associated with increased
36 morbidities or ailments, such as cerebral palsy, breathing
37 difficulties, feeding problems, developmental delay, and vision
38 and hearing problems, and
39 WHEREAS, preterm labor occurs when regular contractions
40 cause the cervix to open between 20 and 37 weeks of gestation,
41 which can result in a baby being born before 37 weeks of
42 gestation, and the earlier the delivery, the greater the health
43 risks for the baby, requiring special care in a neonatal
44 intensive care unit and potentially causing long-term mental and
45 physical health concerns, and
46 WHEREAS, Florida’s preterm birth rate has risen annually
47 since 2014 to its current average rate of 10.9 percent, higher
48 than the national average of 10.5 percent, and
49 WHEREAS, Florida ranks among the highest in the nation for
50 infant mortality, with a rate of 5.9 deaths per 1,000 births,
51 higher than the national average of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 births,
52 and
53 WHEREAS, Florida also has one of the highest cesarean
54 delivery rates in the nation at 37.4 percent, compared to the
55 national average of 31.8 percent, with cesarean delivery being
56 associated with increased risks to infants, including
57 respiratory distress, infection, and long-term health
58 complications, and
59 WHEREAS, maternal mortality is defined as the annual number
60 of female deaths from any cause related to or aggravated by
61 pregnancy or its management, excluding accidental or incidental
62 causes, during pregnancy and childbirth or within 42 days after
63 termination of a pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and
64 site of the pregnancy, and
65 WHEREAS, Florida ranks 17th in the nation with a maternal
66 mortality rate of 26.3 deaths per 100,000 births, compared to a
67 national rate of 23.2 deaths per 100,000 births, and
68 WHEREAS, Broward County has a maternal mortality rate of
69 24.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, and an infant mortality
70 rate of 5 deaths per 1,000 live births, and
71 WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has a maternal mortality rate of
72 20.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, and an infant mortality
73 rate of 4.8 deaths per 1,000 live births, and
74 WHEREAS, Palm Beach County has a maternal mortality rate of
75 33.2 deaths per 100,000 live births, and an infant mortality
76 rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, and
77 WHEREAS, continued perinatal support, including the
78 services provided by trained doulas, is associated with reduced
79 rates of cesarean delivery and improved birth outcomes, and
80 WHEREAS, Florida has ongoing challenges related to child
81 safety and welfare, with statistics showing disparities in
82 health and safety outcomes for children across racial and
83 socioeconomic groups, and
84 WHEREAS, doula care is the continuous, one-to-one
85 emotional, informational, and physical support provided by a
86 trained nonmedical professional to pregnant women and their
87 families during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period, and
88 WHEREAS, while doulas do not perform medical tasks, they
89 provide an array of educational and support services throughout
90 the birthing process to ensure that the mother has a positive
91 and empowering experience, including, but not limited to,
92 educational resources and information about pregnancy,
93 childbirth, and postpartum care; assistance in creating a birth
94 plan; continuous emotional support during labor and delivery;
95 assistance with breathing techniques, relaxation, and
96 positioning during labor; massage and counterpressure measures;
97 facilitation of communication with medical staff; advocacy in
98 and navigation of the medical setting; and postpartum support
99 with newborn care and feeding, and
100 WHEREAS, evidence-based support provided by trained doulas
101 has been shown to enhance birth experiences, reduce cesarean
102 deliveries, and improve overall health outcomes for mothers and
103 infants, and
104 WHEREAS, the state has a compelling interest in improving
105 maternal and infant outcomes through increased access to high
106 quality doula services, NOW, THEREFORE,
107
108 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
109
110 Section 1. Section 383.295, Florida Statutes, is created to
111 read:
112
383.295 Doulas.—
113
(1)
DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
114
(
a
) “Department” means the Department of Health.
115
(
b
) “Doula” means a nonmedical professional who provides
116
health education, advocacy, and physical, emotional, and
117
nonmedical support for pregnant and postpartum women before,
118
during, and after childbirth, including support during
119
miscarriage and stillbirth. Doulas are not clinical providers
120
and are not licensed
.
121
(
c
) “Doula services” means the provision of physical,
122
emotional, and informational support by a nonmedical
123
professional to a pregnant woman during the prenatal,
124
intrapartum, and postpartum periods. Activities may include
125
childbirth education, labor support, postpartum recovery
126
support, assistance with infant care, lactation support, and
127
connection to community resources.
128
(
d
) “Evidence-based” means a process in which decisions are
129
made and actions or activities are
carried out,
based on the
130
best evidence available
,
with the goal of removing subjective
131
opinion, unfounded beliefs, or bias from decisions and actions.
132
Such evidence may include practitioner experience and expertise
133
as well as feedback from other practitioners and beneficiaries.
134
(2) PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—
135
(a)
Subject to a specific appropriation of funds in the
136
General Appropriations Act, t
he Doula Support for Healthy Births
137
pilot program is established
in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm
138
Beach
C
ountie
s
to integrate doula services into existing
139
maternal health initiatives, targeting
pregnant and postpartum
140
women who have overcome or are overcoming substance use
141
disorders
.
142
(b) The
purpose of the pilot
program
i
s to improve birth
143
outcomes by decreasing preterm birth rates and cesarean
144
deliveries, enhancing access to care, and supporting maternal
145
well-being throughout the pregnancy, labor, and postpartum
146
periods using evidence-based methods.
147
(c) The
department, through its
m
aternal and
c
hild
h
ealth
148
section, shall
implement and oversee the pilot program.
149
(3) PROGRAM STRUCTURE.—
150
(a)
The pilot program may operate for 12 to 24 months,
151
based on appropriated funds.
152
(b)
The pilot program shall target the enrollment of
153
pregnant and postpartum women who have overcome or are
154
overcoming substance use disorders
.
155
(c) The following
support
services
must
be offered under
156
the pilot program:
157
1.
Prenatal
s
upport
, such as e
ducational resources,
158
personalized birth plans, and emotional support.
159
2.
Labor
s
upport
, such as c
ontinuous emotional support,
160
comfort measures, and communication facilitation.
161
3.
Postpartum
s
upport
, such as a
ssistance with newborn
162
care, postpartum resources, and household tasks.
163
4.
Advocacy
support, such as assistance with
preferences
164
and needs within medical settings and health
care navigation.
165
5
.
C
omprehensive emotional support during the pregnancy and
166
postpartum periods.
167
(4)
COLLABORATION
; INTEGRATION.—
168
(a)
The department shall
collaborate with
:
169
1.
H
ealth care providers, community organizations,
170
community coalitions,
and advocacy groups to integrate
doulas
171
and
doula services into existing maternal health programs
,
172
ensuring that such doulas are trained and
meet
all of
the
173
following criteria:
174
a
.
Demonstrate a strong understanding of the reproductive
175
system, labor process, and postpartum recovery.
176
b
.
Are
proficient in hands-on techniques
,
such as massage,
177
counterpressure, breathing exercises, and nonmedicated pain
178
management.
179
c.
Support a client’s birth plan, communicate effectively
180
with medical staff, and advocate for informed consent.
181
d.
Provide guidance on breastfeeding, basic newborn care,
182
and both the physical and emotional aspects of postpartum
183
recovery.
184
e.
U
s
e active listening, clear communication, and conflict
185
resolution skills in interactions with clients and health
care
186
providers.
187
f.
U
nderstand common medical complications and provide
188
emotional and physical support to clients in challenging
189
situations.
190
g.
Uphold professionalism, ethical decisionmaking, and
191
legal responsibilities in doula practice
.
192
2.
L
ocal WIC programs, hospitals, birth centers, and
193
community health centers to facilitate outreach and service
194
delivery.
195
(b)
If appropriated funding is sufficient, t
he department
196
may integrate doula services into existing maternal and child
197
health programs as
an expansion of the
pilot program, focusing
198
on
pregnant and postpartum women who have overcome or are
199
overcoming substance use disorders
.
Any such expansion of the
200
pilot program must
include annual reporting requirements
for the
201
department to
evaluate effectiveness, equity, and quality
of
202
integrating doula services into the existing maternal and child
203
health programs
.
204 Section 2.
Doula Certification Task Force.
—
205
(1)
ESTABLISHMENT.—
There is created within the Department
206
of Health
the Doula Certification Task Force
, a task force as
207
defined in s. 20.03(5), Florida Statutes,
for the purpose of
208
reviewing the scope of doula services and ensuring competency,
209
quality, and consistency in the delivery of
doula
services to
210
pregnant and postpartum women.
211
(2)
OVERSIGHT.—The Department of Health shall oversee and
212
provide administrative support to the task force.
213
(3)
MEMBERSHIP; MEETINGS.—
214
(a)
The task force shall be composed of nine members. Three
215
members shall be appointed by the Governor, three members shall
216
be appointed by the Senate President, and three members shall be
217
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Of the
218
nine members,
two
member
s
must be health care practitioner
s
as
219
defined in s. 456.001, Florida Statutes,
experienced in caring
220
for pregnant or postpartum women,
and at least one member must
221
be
a doula or otherwise have experience providing nonmedical
222
support services to pregnant or postpartum women.
A vacancy on
223
the task force
must
be filled in the same manner as the original
224
appointment. The task force shall elect a chair from among its
225
members.
226
(
b
) The task force shall meet
as often
as necessary
to
227
complete its work
, but at least quarterly, at the call of the
228
chair. The task force
may
conduct its meetings through
229
teleconference or other similar
electronic
means.
230
(4)
DUTIES.—The task force shall do all of the following:
231
(a)
Review the scope of practice for doulas in this state,
232
as well as in other states.
233
(b)
Establish core competencies for the provision of doula
234
services.
235
(c)
Recommend minimum certification standards for doulas,
236
which must include, but need not be limited to, all of the
237
following:
238
1.
Possession of a high school diploma or its equivalent.
239
2.
Completion of a department-approved, evidence-based
240
training program.
241
3.
A minimum number of supervised practice hours.
242
4.
Completion of a background screening.
243
5.
Education in professional ethics.
244
(5)
REPORT.—By January 1, 2028, the task force shall submit
245
a final report of its findings and recommendations to the
246
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
247
House of Representatives.
248
(
6
)
SUNSET.—The task force shall operate on a temporary
249
basis in conjunction with the Doula Support for Healthy Births
250
pilot program established under s. 383.295, Florida Statutes, as
251
created by this act, and shall expire
on October 2, 2029, in
252
accordance with s. 20.052(8), Florida Statutes
.
253 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.