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Committee hears OPR support for voluntary doula certification; members discuss disclosures
Summary
The committee reviewed S.53, a bill to establish voluntary state certification for doulas; the Office of Professional Regulation supported certification and noted certification would be voluntary and could enable Medicaid reimbursement, while senators raised concerns about disclosure for disciplined providers.
Thursday, Feb. 20 — The Science Committee of Government Operations took testimony on S.53, a bill to create a voluntary state certification process for doulas. The committee’s review focused on certification mechanics and public-protection safeguards rather than Medicaid reimbursement.
Lauren Hibbert, deputy secretary of state and former director of the Office of Professional Regulation, told the committee OPR supports voluntary certification for doulas, saying certification is an appropriate level of oversight for the field and could improve access to advocacy services in childbirth and maternal care. Hibbert said OPR’s Sunrise review found that certification — rather than mandatory licensure — matched the current diversity of training pathways into the profession and would allow the state to verify qualifications while keeping certification voluntary.
Hibbert said certified doulas could use the state’s certification mark and that certification would allow doulas to apply for reimbursement under programs such as Medicaid, but the committee’s jurisdictional review did not resolve reimbursement policy. She described a certification pathway that includes supervised practice and a certifying body that would verify qualifying hours and curriculum. OPR officials told senators they would investigate complaints against certified doulas and have statutory authority to take disciplinary actions for certified practitioners; uncertified doulas would remain able to describe themselves as doulas but could not say they were state-certified.
Several committee members supported certification but raised questions about whether certification should be mandatory licensure, and whether there should be a required disclosure if a doula loses certification or is disciplined. Sen. Bajauski asked why OPR recommended certification over licensure; Hibbert said the field currently has diverse training pathways and that certification would provide a clear, voluntary state credential while making it easier for consumers and payers to identify certified providers.
Committee discussion also covered public education and consumer protections. Members suggested adding a disclosure requirement so that consumers can see whether a doula is certified or has been disciplined; OPR said it would consider disclosure language and discuss it with stakeholder groups. The committee expected to draft a report and send the record to Senate Health and Welfare for further consideration; no final vote on S.53 was recorded at the hearing.
Ending: OPR signaled readiness to help stand up the certification program; committee members asked OPR to explore possible disclosure language about disciplinary actions and indicated they would continue work on the bill before a committee vote.
