Substitute Bill No. 7214 seeks to improve maternal health by establishing a perinatal mental health task force tasked with studying and recommending enhancements to perinatal mental health care services, particularly for vulnerable populations. The task force will include individuals with lived experiences of perinatal mood disorders, healthcare professionals, and representatives from relevant organizations, and is required to submit a report on its findings by October 1, 2026. Additionally, the bill mandates the Commissioner of Public Health to create an annual maternity care report card for birth centers and hospitals, evaluating care based on quantitative metrics, patient-reported experiences, and equity scores disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and income level. An advisory committee will also be established to develop grading methodologies and explore making hospitals more doula-friendly.

Furthermore, the bill addresses the need for doula support in maternity care, particularly for underserved populations, by mandating a comprehensive study on existing hospital policies regarding doula access and their impact on birth outcomes. This study will examine systemic challenges, successful doula-friendly policies from other jurisdictions, and the effects of doula support on maternal mortality and patient satisfaction. The Commissioner is required to submit a report detailing the findings and recommendations from this study by February 1, 2026. The bill introduces new legal language for the study and report provisions, while deleting the term "successful" from Section 1(a)(6) to eliminate redundancy. The act will take effect upon passage and includes new sections to be established as part of the law.