25.0993.02002
Title.04000
Adopted by the Senate Human Services
Committee
Sixty-ninth
March 19, 2025
Legislative Assembly
of North Dakota
Introduced by
Representatives Dobervich, K. Anderson, Brown, Finley-DeVille, Hager, Hanson, Rohr,
Steiner
Senators Hogan, Mathern
A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new section to chapter 23-12 of the North Dakota
Century Code, relating to postpartum doula certification; and to provide for a legislative
management report.for an Act to provide for a legislative management study relating to
maternal care services; and to provide an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. A new section to chapter 23-12 of the North Dakota Century Code is created
and enacted as follows:
Postpartum doula certification.
1. As used in this section:
a. "Certified doula" means an individual who has received a certification to perform
doula services from the doulas of North America or an organization designated
by the department.
b. "Department" means the department of health and human services.
c. "Doula services" means education and support services for a parent and child,
including continuous emotional and physical support during the postpartum
period, including up to six months after the birth of the child.
2. The department may:
a. Designate additional doula certification organizations;
b. Remove the designation of a doula certification organization; and
c. Adopt rules to implement and administer this section.
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ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 1464
FIRST ENGROSSMENT
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO
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3. The department shall establish criteria for the designation of doula certification
organizations and maintain a list of designated organizations on the department's
website for purposes of facilitating the availability of certified doulas to provide doula
services under section 2 of this Act.
4. The department may not impose a licensing or certification fee in addition to any fees
imposed by a doula certification organization meeting the criteria established by the
department.
SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT REPORT - POSTPARTUM DOULA
CERTIFICATION. During the 2025-26 interim, the department of health and human services
shall provide a report to the legislative management regarding postpartum doula certification,
including the status of implementing and administering the responsibilities relating to
postpartum doula certification under section 1 of this Act and the impact of certified doula
services.
SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT STUDY - MATERNAL CARE SERVICES.
1.During the 2025-26 interim, the legislative management shall consider studying
maternal care services. The study must include:
a.An analysis of the availability of medical and nonmedical prenatal services in the
state by community and geographic service area, and the utilization rate of each;
b.A review of childbirth service availability, including in-home and health care
facility-based services, and the number of obstetrician-gynecologists and family
practitioners routinely delivering babies by geographic service area;
c.A review of prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal services covered by public
assistance, private insurance, and pregnancy resource centers, including an
analysis of funding, program evaluation, and outcomes;
d.Consideration of previous studies related to maternal care services;
e.Consideration of maternal care resource and asset maps, service gaps,
evidence-based or innovative pilot project solutions for resolving service gaps,
and approaches for increasing the use of prenatal and postnatal care services
and programs;
f.An evaluation of ways to increase the number of obstetrician-gynecologists and
family practitioners practicing in the state;
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g.Exploration of processes for certifying, training, and reimbursing doula and
midwife services;
h.Consideration of public assistance and private insurance policy opportunities to
improve maternal and infant health outcomes; and
i.Input and consultation from key stakeholders including:
(1)The university of North Dakota school of medicine and health sciences;
(2)The North Dakota maternal mortality review committee;
(3)The infant mortality review panel;
(4)The foundation for a healthy North Dakota;
(5)Doulas, midwives, and home-based service providers practicing in the state;
(6)The North American college of obstetricians and gynecology;
(7)The North Dakota medical association;
(8)The women, infants, and children program; and
(9)North Dakota health tracks.
2.The legislative management shall report its findings and recommendations together
with any legislation required to implement the recommendations, to the seventieth
legislative assembly.
SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES -
MATERNAL CARE SERVICES STUDY - ONE-TIME FUNDING. There is appropriated out of
any moneys in the general fund in the state treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of
$200,000, or so much of the sum as may be necessary, to the department of health and human
services for the purpose of contracting for consulting services with a public health program in
the North Dakota higher education system for the maternal care services study, under section 1
of this Act, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The
appropriation in this section is considered a one-time funding item.
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