The bill aims to expand the doula workforce by establishing a new section in Chapter 112 of the General Laws, which defines a perinatal doula as a trained professional providing non-medical support to pregnant individuals, surrogates, foster care parents, and adoptive parents. It creates the Maternal Health Justice Fund, administered by the Department of Public Health, to support the expansion and management of the doula workforce. The fund will receive revenue from state appropriations and non-state entities, and any unspent funds at the end of the fiscal year will not revert to the General Fund.

The Department of Public Health is tasked with utilizing the fund to provide compensation for support staff, scholarships for individuals seeking doula certification, and support for agencies focused on maternal health workforce development and community-based doula programs. The bill outlines specific competencies that doula certification programs must meet to be eligible for scholarship funding, including knowledge of anatomy, emotional support strategies, and community resources. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of education in health equity, implicit bias, and cultural sensitivity, among other topics. The department will maintain and publicly publish a list of eligible certification programs and scholarship application instructions.