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LD1523 • 2025

Resolve, to Develop MaineCare Coverage for Doula Services

Resolve, to Develop MaineCare Coverage for Doula Services

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Representative Deqa Dhalac
Last action
2025-06-19
Official status
Became Law without Governor's Signature
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Resolve, to Develop MaineCare Coverage for Doula Services

Resolve, to Develop MaineCare Coverage for Doula Services Sponsor: Representative Deqa Dhalac Reference committee: Health and Human Services Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

What This Bill Does

  • Resolve, to Develop MaineCare Coverage for Doula Services Sponsor: Representative Deqa Dhalac Reference committee: Health and Human Services Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR0647(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR0647(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 1523 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • H- ) 3HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Clerk of the House.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-19 Governor

    Became Law without Governor's Signature

  2. 2025-06-05 Senate

    FINALLY PASSED , in concurrence.

  3. 2025-06-04 House

    FINALLY PASSED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  4. 2025-06-03 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM

  5. 2025-05-01 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2025-05-01 Committee

    Voted; OTP-AM

  7. 2025-04-08 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.

Official Summary Text

Resolve, to Develop MaineCare Coverage for Doula Services
Sponsor:
Representative Deqa Dhalac
Reference committee:
Health and Human Services
Governor action:
Became Law without Governor's Signature

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR0647(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 1008 - L.D. 1523
Resolve, to Develop MaineCare Coverage for Doula Services
Sec. 1. Rate determination for doula services. Resolved: That, no later than
January 1, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services shall initiate a rate
determination process according to the requirements of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title
22, section 3173-J for the provision of doula services under the MaineCare program with a
planned start for reimbursement, subject to sufficient appropriations from the Legislature,
of January 1, 2028. For the purposes of this resolve, "doula services" means the provision
of services to a person by a nonclinical professional related to the physical, emotional and
informational support of that person throughout pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum
period, including, but not limited to, guidance and support concerning pregnancy health,
childbirth, infant feeding and newborn care.
Sec. 2. Doula council. Resolved: That the department shall establish a
multidisciplinary statewide doula council to provide advice and make recommendations to
the department regarding doula services, including consulting in the rate determination
process pursuant to section 1. The doula council must include practicing doulas. The doula
council must provide advice to the department on topics, including, but not limited to, the
scope of doula services that could become eligible for reimbursement under the MaineCare
program, appropriate credentials for doulas, strategies for recruiting a diverse workforce of
doulas to provide services in the State, reimbursement and billing issues and outreach to
the public about how to access doula services.
Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That the department shall submit a report, no later than
February 1, 2027, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction
over health and human services matters with the department's progress on developing rates
under section 1 and recommendations for reimbursement for doula services under the
MaineCare program pursuant to section 2. The report must include recommendations on
the appropriateness of MaineCare reimbursement for doula services, a timeline for
implementation of rates and state plan amendments, the necessary budget requests to fund
the provision of doula services under the MaineCare program and a permanent structure
for a doula council. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction
over health and human services matters is authorized to report out legislation to the 133rd
Legislature in 2027.
LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S
SIGNATURE

JUNE 19, 2025
CHAPTER
89
RESOLVES