| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | SENATE BILL 44 |
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| 6 | 5 | | By Lamar |
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| 7 | 6 | | |
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| 8 | 7 | | |
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| 9 | 8 | | SB0044 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 000077 |
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| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 11 | | |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63 |
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| 14 | 13 | | and Title 71, relative to doulas. |
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| 15 | 14 | | |
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| 16 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 17 | 16 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-5-107(a), is amended by adding |
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| 18 | 17 | | the following as a new subdivision: |
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| 19 | 18 | | (29) Doula services performed by a person who has received a verification of |
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| 20 | 19 | | certification to perform doula services from the department of health pursuant to § 63-1- |
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| 21 | 20 | | 177. As used in this subdivision (a)(29), "doula services" means a service that provides |
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| 22 | 21 | | continuous emotional and physical support throughout labor and birth and intermittently |
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| 23 | 22 | | during the prenatal and postpartum periods. |
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| 24 | 23 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by |
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| 25 | 24 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 26 | 25 | | 63-1-177. |
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| 27 | 26 | | (a) As used in this section: |
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| 28 | 27 | | (1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of health; |
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| 29 | 28 | | (2) "Department" means the department of health; and |
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| 30 | 29 | | (3) "Doula services" means a service that provides continuous emotional |
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| 31 | 30 | | and physical support throughout labor and birth and intermittently during the |
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| 32 | 31 | | prenatal and postpartum periods. |
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| 33 | 32 | | (b) Using the findings and recommendations of the doula services advisory |
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| 34 | 33 | | committee, as described in § 63-15-103, the commissioner shall establish by rule a |
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| 35 | 34 | | process by which the department issues a verification of certification to a person who |
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| 36 | 35 | | |
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| 37 | 36 | | |
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| 38 | 37 | | - 2 - 000077 |
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| 39 | 38 | | |
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| 40 | 39 | | has demonstrated the following by providing proof of completion of a doula training |
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| 41 | 40 | | program recognized by the commissioner: |
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| 42 | 41 | | (1) An understanding of basic anatomy and physiology as related to |
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| 43 | 42 | | pregnancy, the childbearing process, breastfeeding or chest feeding, and the |
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| 44 | 43 | | postpartum period; |
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| 45 | 44 | | (2) The capacity to employ different strategies for providing emotional |
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| 46 | 45 | | support, education, and resources during the perinatal period; |
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| 47 | 46 | | (3) Knowledge of and the ability to assist families with utilizing a wide |
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| 48 | 47 | | variety of nonclinical labor coping and physical comfort strategies; |
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| 49 | 48 | | (4) An awareness of strategies to foster effective communication |
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| 50 | 49 | | between clients, their families, support services, and healthcare providers; and |
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| 51 | 50 | | (5) Knowledge of community-based, publicly and federally funded, and |
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| 52 | 51 | | clinical resources available to the client for any need outside the doula's scope of |
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| 53 | 52 | | practice. |
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| 54 | 53 | | SECTION 3. For the purpose of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming |
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| 55 | 54 | | a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2025, |
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| 56 | 55 | | the public welfare requiring it. |
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