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Senate panel approves doula bill with amendment, sending it forward
Summary
Senate Bill 319, which would revise health‑care laws related to doulas and enable Medicaid coverage, passed the Finance and Claims Committee as amended after debate about costs, certification and whether the bill should be limited; the committee approved an amendment clarifying language about pregnant people.
Senate Bill 319, which revises health‑care laws regarding doulas and includes provisions to enable Medicaid coverage, advanced from the Senate Finance and Claims Committee after the committee approved an amendment clarifying language in the bill. Senator McGillivray offered an amendment (SB319.001) to make explicit that the bill’s reference to pregnant people generally addresses women; the amendment passed on a roll call (14 yes, 8 no) and the committee later passed the bill as amended.
Debate included fiscal and policy questions. Opponents argued Medicaid funds should target essential services and that doula services are not universally essential; supporters said doula services can be essential for many rural and vulnerable patients and that the Medicaid coverage piece would need to be included in the biennial budget bill (House Bill 2) for funding. Concern also arose about certification and licensure distinctions and whether related regulatory issues (e.g., Department of Labor and Industry authority) are resolved; supporters said the House process will allow further review.
The committee recorded floor debate and a roll call for the amendment and then passed SB319 as amended during executive action.
