File #: Int 1285-2025    Version: * Name: Requiring the department of health and mental hygiene to establish a program to train individuals to become doulas and provide doula services.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Women and Gender Equity
On agenda: 5/28/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of health and mental hygiene to establish a program to train individuals to become doulas and provide doula services
Sponsors: Jennifer Gutiérrez, Julie Menin, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Linda Lee, Farah N. Louis, Lincoln Restler, Chris Banks
Council Member Sponsors: 7
Summary: This bill would require the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to establish a program to provide free doula services to people in marginalized neighborhoods in all five boroughs and to train individuals to become doulas. The program would train doulas in birth equity, trauma-informed care, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, navigating the hospital environment and support services available to low-income birthing people and their families. The bill would also require the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to submit a report to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council on the services provided by the program and an analysis on the use and effectiveness of the program.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1285, 2. Int. No. 1285, 3. May 28, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda

Int. No. 1285

 

By Council Members Gutiérrez, Hanks, Schulman, Louis, Lee, Restler and Banks

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of health and mental hygiene to establish a program to train individuals to become doulas and provide doula services

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.10.1 to read as follows:

§ 17-199.10.1 Doula program. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section:

Birth equity. The term “birth equity” means the process of creating conditions of optimal births for all individuals while addressing racial and social inequalities.

Citywide doula program. The term “doula program” means the program established pursuant to subdivision b of this section.

Doula. The term “doula” has the same meaning as such term is defined in section 17-199.10.

Priority neighborhoods. The term “priority neighborhoods” means the neighborhoods determined by the office of racial equity pursuant to section 3401 of the charter.

Trauma-informed care. The term “trauma-informed care” has the same meaning as such term is defined in section 17-180.2.

b. Citywide doula program established. The commissioner shall establish a program to provide doula services in the five boroughs and to train individuals to become doulas.

c. Doula training. The citywide doula program shall provide training to individuals to become doulas and provide ongoing professional development to all doulas in the doula program. The training shall include the following subject matters: birth equity, trauma-informed care, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, navigating the hospital environment, and support services available to low-income birthing people and their families.

d. Doula services. The citywide doula program shall provide doula care to residents of priority neighborhoods in all five boroughs at no cost to the resident. Doulas providing services through the citywide doula program shall have experience in the following subject matters: birth equity, trauma-informed care, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, navigating the hospital environment and support services available to low-income birthing people and their families.

e. Report. No later than 1 year after the effective date of this local law, the commissioner shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post online, a report on the citywide doula program. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the number and type of doulas trained through the citywide doula program; an overview of topics covered in the citywide doula program training; the number of individuals served by the citywide doula program; a list of the zip codes that such individuals live in, provided that such information shall not reasonably identify any such individual; and an analysis of the use and effectiveness of the citywide doula program. The commissioner shall submit subsequent yearly reports in accordance with this subdivision.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

JGP

LS #9456/16374/17328

5/22/25 5:00 PM