{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/32.1-77.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/32.1-77.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/32.1-77.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/32.1-77.1.html"}],"law_id":75623,"edition_id":1,"section_id":75623,"structure_id":14943,"section_number":"32.1-77.1","catch_line":"State-certified doulas; certification","history":"2020, c. 724.","full_text":"A\n\nAs 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\n\nNo 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\n\nNo 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\n\nThe 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\n\nNotwithstanding 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\n\nCertification requirements for state-certified doulas shall reflect national best practices pertaining to community-based doula training and certification.G\n\nThe 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\n\nNothing 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 section.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":271622,"text":"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.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":271623,"text":"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.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":271624,"text":"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.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":271625,"text":"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.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C","next_prefix":"E"},"4":{"id":271626,"text":"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.","type":"section","prefixes":["E"],"prefix":"E","entire_prefix":"E","prefix_anchor":"E","level":1,"prior_prefix":"D","next_prefix":"F"},"5":{"id":271627,"text":"Certification requirements for state-certified doulas shall reflect national best practices pertaining to community-based doula training and certification.","type":"section","prefixes":["F"],"prefix":"F","entire_prefix":"F","prefix_anchor":"F","level":1,"prior_prefix":"E","next_prefix":"G"},"6":{"id":271628,"text":"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.","type":"section","prefixes":["G"],"prefix":"G","entire_prefix":"G","prefix_anchor":"G","level":1,"prior_prefix":"F","next_prefix":"H"},"7":{"id":271629,"text":"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 section.","type":"section","prefixes":["H"],"prefix":"H","entire_prefix":"H","prefix_anchor":"H","level":1,"prior_prefix":"G"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14943,"edition_id":1,"name":"Maternal and Child Health Services and Crippled Children's Services","identifier":"2","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14942,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:57","permalink":{"id":202343,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14943,"identifier":"2","token":"32.1\/3\/2","url":"\/32.1\/3\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14942,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medical Care Services","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12727,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:57","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:57","permalink":{"id":202327,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14942,"identifier":"3","token":"32.1\/3","url":"\/32.1\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12727,"edition_id":1,"name":"Health","identifier":"32.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:50","permalink":{"id":201099,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12727,"identifier":"32.1","token":"32.1","url":"\/32.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":57021,"structure_id":14943,"section_number":"32.1-77","catch_line":"State plans for maternal and child health services and children's specialty services","url":"\/32.1-77\/","token":"32.1\/3\/2\/32.1-77","metadata":false},{"id":75623,"structure_id":14943,"section_number":"32.1-77.1","catch_line":"State-certified doulas; certification","url":"\/32.1-77.1\/","token":"32.1\/3\/2\/32.1-77.1","metadata":false},{"id":59994,"structure_id":14943,"section_number":"32.1-78","catch_line":"Reporting information about children with health problems or disabilities","url":"\/32.1-78\/","token":"32.1\/3\/2\/32.1-78","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":57021,"structure_id":14943,"section_number":"32.1-77","catch_line":"State plans for maternal and child health services and children's specialty services","url":"\/32.1-77\/","token":"32.1\/3\/2\/32.1-77","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":59994,"structure_id":14943,"section_number":"32.1-78","catch_line":"Reporting information about children with health problems or disabilities","url":"\/32.1-78\/","token":"32.1\/3\/2\/32.1-78","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/32.1-77.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2020. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 724<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":202349,"object_type":"law","relational_id":75623,"identifier":"32.1-77.1","token":"32.1\/3\/2\/32.1-77.1","url":"\/32.1-77.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/32.1-77.1\/","token":"32.1\/3\/2\/32.1-77.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"State-certified doulas; certification","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 32.1-77.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> As used in this section, “state-certified doula<\/span>” means a trained, community-based nonmedical professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a pregnant person<\/span> 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<\/span> for such purpose in accordance with the provisions of this section. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> No person<\/span> shall use or assume the title “state-certified doula<\/span>” unless such person<\/span> 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<\/span> for such purpose and (ii) has been certified as a doula by a body approved by the Board<\/span> for such purpose. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> 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<\/span> for such purpose. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> The Board<\/span> shall adopt regulations setting forth the requirements for (i) use of the title “state-certified doula<\/span>” and (ii) training and education necessary to satisfy the requirements for certification by the Department<\/span> as a state-certified doula<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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

F.<\/span> Certification requirements for state-certified doulas<\/span> shall reflect national best practices pertaining to community-based doula training and certification. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

G.<\/span> The Department<\/span> shall make a registry of state-certified doulas<\/span> in the Commonwealth available to the public through a body approved by the Board<\/span> to certify doulas. The Department<\/span> 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<\/span> to certify doulas. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

H.<\/span> Nothing in this section shall prohibit any person<\/span> from practicing as a doula in the Commonwealth, regardless of whether such person<\/span> is certified in accordance with the provisions of this section. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSTATE-CERTIFIED DOULAS; CERTIFICATION (\u00a7 32.1-77.1)\n\nA. As used in this section, “state-certified doula” means a trained,\ncommunity-based nonmedical professional who provides continuous physical,\nemotional, and informational support to a pregnant person during the antepartum\nor intrapartum period or during the period up to one year postpartum and who has\nbeen certified by a body approved by the Board for such purpose in accordance\nwith the provisions of this section.\n\nB. No person shall use or assume the title “state-certified doula”\nunless such person is a community-based doula who (i) has received training and\neducation as a doula from an entity approved by a body approved by the Board for\nsuch purpose and (ii) has been certified as a doula by a body approved by the\nBoard for such purpose.\n\nC. No entity shall hold itself out as providing training and education necessary\nto meet the requirements of clause (i) of subsection B unless its curriculum and\ntraining program has been approved by a body approved by the Board for such\npurpose.\n\nD. The Board shall adopt regulations setting forth the requirements for (i) use\nof the title “state-certified doula” and (ii) training and education\nnecessary to satisfy the requirements for certification by the Department as a\nstate-certified doula.\n\nE. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B, a person who is certified by\na national credentialing organization that is approved by a body approved by the\nBoard for such purpose who does not meet the requirements of clause (i) of\nsubsection B shall also be eligible for state certification.\n\nF. Certification requirements for state-certified doulas shall reflect national\nbest practices pertaining to community-based doula training and certification.\n\nG. The Department shall make a registry of state-certified doulas in the\nCommonwealth available to the public through a body approved by the Board to\ncertify doulas. The Department shall also make a list of entities approved to\nprovide training and education necessary to meet the requirements of clause (i)\nof subsection B available to the public through a body approved by the Board to\ncertify doulas.\n\nH. Nothing in this section shall prohibit any person from practicing as a doula\nin the Commonwealth, regardless of whether such person is certified in\naccordance with the provisions of this section.\n\nHISTORY: 2020, c. 724.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}