STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8622
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
December 17, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. BROUK, FERNANDEZ, HELMING, HINCHEY, JACKSON, WEBB --
read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to doula friendly
work spaces
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature acknowledges that
2 doulas face exclusionary measures in gaining recognition and overall
3 integration within the maternal health continuum, such as hospitals and
4 birthing centers. The legislature declares that the purpose of this act
5 is to study and report on the integration of doula care and services in
6 the healthcare continuum and to recommend best practices to designate
7 doula friendly spaces in New York state.
8 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2803-j-1
9 to read as follows:
10 § 2803-j-1. Designating doula friendly spaces study. 1. The department
11 shall conduct a study to examine and evaluate current practices on the
12 integration of doula care, services, and support within birthing
13 centers, hospitals, and other healthcare delivery facilities. This study
14 shall report such findings through comprehensive metrics on doula
15 friendliness in facilities across the geographic diversity of the state
16 that are licensed under this article. Factors and metrics to be
17 reported by the study shall include but not be limited to:
18 (a) Identifying and engaging with doula led and centered organizations
19 on their current programs regarding doula integration;
20 (b) Identifying hospitals and birthing centers that are doula friendly
21 in their operation;
22 (c) Identifying successful doula integration programs and initiatives
23 in hospitals and birthing centers in New York state; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07224-01-5
S. 8622 2
1 (d) Identifying successful doula integration programs and initiatives
2 in other states.
3 2. The study shall also make recommendations on best practices for the
4 state to help facilitate doula integration and doula friendliness in
5 hospitals and birthing centers. Such recommendations shall include, but
6 not be limited to:
7 (a) Best practices that doulas currently operating in New York state
8 recommend for proper integration;
9 (b) Criteria for hospitals and birthing centers for integration of
10 doulas and doula care into the varying processes of birth;
11 (c) Criteria for how the state should best support the formal desig-
12 nation of doula friendly places;
13 (d) Criteria for how hospitals and birthing centers shall give doulas
14 visitor status or equal status in the facilities;
15 (e) Criteria for doula presence in the birthing room;
16 (f) Criteria for inclusion of doulas in the healthcare continuum;
17 (g) Best practices and criteria for the collection of data regarding
18 doula friendliness and integration; and
19 (h) Best practices for the reporting of metrics for doula friendliness
20 and integration.
21 3. On or before December thirty-first, two thousand twenty-seven, the
22 department shall submit a final report containing all findings and
23 recommendations to the governor, the temporary president of the senate,
24 and the speaker of the assembly.
25 § 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
26 have become a law.
