The New York City Council - File #: Int 0913-2018

• File #: Int 0913-2018
• Version: A
• Name: Access to doulas.
• Type: Introduction
• Status: Enacted
• File created: 5/9/2018
• In control: Committee on Women and Gender Equity
• On agenda: 5/9/2018
• Final action: 11/17/2018
• Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to access to doulas
• Sponsors: Helen K. Rosenthal, Alicka Ampry-Samuel , Laurie A. Cumbo, Carlina Rivera , Margaret S. Chin, Stephen T. Levin, Mark Levine, Diana I. Ayala, Brad S. Lander, Andrew Cohen, Deborah L. Rose, Ben Kallos, Donovan J. Richards, Justin L. Brannan, Antonio Reynoso, Carlos Menchaca, Jumaane D. Williams, Keith Powers , Bill Perkins, Adrienne E. Adams, Costa G. Constantinides, Inez D. Barron, I. Daneek Miller
• Indexes: Report Required

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
11/19/2018	A	City Council	Returned Unsigned by Mayor
11/17/2018	A	Administration	City Charter Rule Adopted
10/17/2018	A	City Council	Sent to Mayor by Council
10/17/2018	A	City Council	Approved by Council	Pass
10/15/2018	*	Committee on Women and Gender Equity	Hearing Held by Committee
10/15/2018	*	Committee on Women and Gender Equity	Amendment Proposed by Comm
10/15/2018	*	Committee on Women and Gender Equity	Amended by Committee
10/15/2018	A	Committee on Women and Gender Equity	Approved by Committee	Pass
6/27/2018	*	Committee on Health	Laid Over by Committee
6/27/2018	*	Committee on Health	Hearing Held by Committee
6/27/2018	*	Committee on Women and Gender Equity	Laid Over by Committee
6/27/2018	*	Committee on Women and Gender Equity	Hearing Held by Committee
5/9/2018	*	City Council	Referred to Comm by Council
5/9/2018	*	City Council	Introduced by Council

Int. No. 913-A

By Council Members Rosenthal, Ampry-Samuel, Cumbo, Rivera, Chin, Levin, Levine, Ayala, Lander, Cohen, Rose, Kallos, Richards, Brannan, Reynoso, Menchaca, Williams, Powers, Perkins, Adams, Constantinides, Barron and Miller

Title
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to access to doulas
Body

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 to read as follows:
? 17-199.10 Doulas. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, "doula" means a trained person who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a pregnant person and the family before, during or shortly after childbirth, for the purpose of assisting a pregnant person through the birth experience; or a trained person who supports the family of a newborn during the first days and weeks after childbirth, providing evidence-based information, practical help, and advice to the family on newborn care, self-care, and nurturing of the new family unit.
b. No later than June 30, 2019, the department shall submit to the speaker of the council and post on its website a plan to increase access to doulas for pregnant people in the city, including relevant timelines and strategies. In developing such plan, the department shall assess data regarding the needs of pregnant people and may consider the following factors:
1. The demand for doulas in the city;
2. The number of doulas in the city and any appropriate qualifications;
3. Existing city and community-based programs that provide doula services, including whether such programs offer training for doulas;
4. The availability of doula services that are low-cost, affordable, or free to the mother or pregnant person;
5. Areas or populations within the city in which residents experience disproportionately l...