                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

STATE-CERTIFIED DOULAS; CERTIFICATION (§ 32.1-77.1)

A. As used in this section, &#8220;state-certified doula&#8221; 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 &#8220;state-certified doula&#8221;
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 &#8220;state-certified doula&#8221; 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 section.

HISTORY: 2020, c. 724.