Florida Senate - 2026 SB 1456
By Senator Osgood
32-01247-26 20261456__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to doula workforce development;
3 creating s. 445.0075, F.S.; providing legislative
4 findings and intent; defining terms; establishing the
5 Doula Workforce Development Support Program within the
6 Department of Commerce to provide grants and technical
7 assistance to eligible doula training entities for a
8 specified purpose; requiring the department to
9 prioritize support to high-need regions; providing for
10 the grant of awards under the program; specifying
11 authorized uses of the grant funds; prohibiting the
12 department from using the funds for specified
13 purposes; requiring the department to adopt rules for
14 the administration of the program; requiring the
15 department to consider specified factors in developing
16 grant criteria; requiring the department to submit
17 annual reports to the Governor and the Legislature by
18 a specified date; providing requirements for the
19 report; authorizing the department to require grant
20 recipients to submit certain data; authorizing the
21 department to adopt rules; providing an appropriation;
22 providing an effective date.
23
24 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
25
26 Section 1. Section 445.0075, Florida Statutes, is created
27 to read:
28 445.0075 Doula Workforce Development Support Program.—
29 (1) LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT.—
30 (a) The Legislature finds that:
31 1. This state continues to experience persistent maternal
32 morbidity and mortality disparities that disproportionately
33 affect Black, Brown, rural, and low-income communities.
34 2. Doulas have been shown to improve maternal and infant
35 health outcomes, reduce preventable complications, increase
36 prenatal care engagement, and strengthen postpartum recovery.
37 3. Existing doula training organizations, community-based
38 doula programs, nonprofit entities, and private educational
39 institutions serve a critical role in building a maternal health
40 workforce but are under-resourced.
41 4. Supporting these entities through the state’s workforce
42 development infrastructure is essential to meeting regional
43 maternal health needs, especially in urban high-disparity
44 counties, rural maternity-care deserts, and regions experiencing
45 hospital closures or obstetric service reductions.
46 (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to strengthen the
47 state’s doula workforce by supporting the organizations that
48 train, mentor, and deploy doulas, and to expand economic and
49 small-business opportunities for community-based birth workers
50 through the Department of Commerce.
51 (2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term:
52 (a) “Department” means the Department of Commerce.
53 (b) “Doula” means a nonmedical birth support professional
54 trained to give physical and emotional support during
55 childbirth.
56 (c) “Doula training entity” means a nonprofit organization,
57 community-based program, training collective, academic
58 institution, or private educational provider that conducts doula
59 training, mentoring, continuing education, or workforce
60 placement activities.
61 (d) “Doula workforce support services” means instructor
62 compensation, curriculum development, program expansion,
63 administrative support, business development training for
64 doulas, mentoring, apprenticeship structures, evaluation and
65 data activities, and related capacity-building functions.
66 (e) “High-need region” means a county or region identified
67 by the department as having elevated maternal morbidity rates,
68 limited numbers of maternity care providers, or insufficient
69 doula availability.
70 (3) PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.—
71 (a) The Doula Workforce Development Support Program is
72 established within the department to provide grants and
73 technical assistance to eligible doula training entities for the
74 purpose of expanding the state’s doula workforce.
75 (b) The program shall prioritize support for entities
76 serving high-need regions, including:
77 1. Urban counties with high maternal morbidity disparities.
78 2. Rural areas with limited or no obstetric providers or
79 maternity wards.
80 3. Communities affected by recent hospital closures or
81 reductions in maternity services.
82 (4) GRANTS; ELIGIBILITY; USE OF FUNDS.—
83 (a) The department may award competitive or formula-based
84 grants to eligible doula training entities to support doula
85 workforce development.
86 (b) Grant funds may be used for any of the following:
87 1. Training, mentoring, or apprenticeship program
88 expansion.
89 2. Instructor compensation and curriculum modernization.
90 3. Recruitment and support of trainees from high-need
91 regions.
92 4. Program administration, evaluation, and outreach.
93 5. Business development training for doulas, including
94 assistance with incorporation, insurance, marketing, and
95 entrepreneurship.
96 6. Stipends or workforce support for newly trained doulas,
97 administered through the eligible entity.
98 7. Partnership development with hospitals, Medicaid managed
99 care plans, clinics, community health workers, Healthy Start
100 coalitions, or other maternal health service providers.
101 (c) The department may not use funds to directly recruit,
102 hire, or employ doulas as state employees or contractors
103 providing clinical services.
104 (5) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—
105 (a) The department shall establish by rule application
106 procedures, grant criteria, allowable costs, reporting
107 requirements, and monitoring processes.
108 (b) In developing grant criteria, the department shall
109 consider all of the following:
110 1. The demonstrated capacity of the entity to train or
111 mentor doulas.
112 2. The geographic areas served and the documented need for
113 doula workforce expansion.
114 3. The entity’s experience serving culturally diverse and
115 high-disparity populations.
116 4. Partnerships with local workforce development boards or
117 educational institutions.
118 5. Plans for sustainability and long-term workforce
119 placement.
120 (6) REPORTING.—
121 (a) By December 1 of each year, the department shall submit
122 a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
123 Speaker of the House of Representatives summarizing all of the
124 following:
125 1. Grant recipients and award amounts.
126 2. The number of doulas trained, mentored, or supported by
127 funded entities.
128 3. The geographic distribution of program activities.
129 4. Workforce outcomes, including business development
130 successes and job placements.
131 5. Recommendations for program improvements.
132 (b) The department may require grant recipients to submit
133 data necessary to compile the report.
134 (7) RULES.—The department may adopt rules necessary to
135 implement this section.
136 Section 2. (1) For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the
137 nonrecurring sum of $7.5 million from the General Revenue Fund
138 is appropriated to the Department of Commerce to implement s.
139 445.0075, Florida Statutes, relating to the Doula Workforce
140 Development Support Program.
141 (2) From the funds appropriated in subsection (1):
142 (a) Up to $500,000 may be used by the department for
143 administrative expenses, program management, technical
144 assistance to grantees, and data collection and evaluation
145 activities necessary to carry out the program.
146 (b) The remaining funds shall be placed in a Grants and
147 Aids – Doula Workforce Development Support Program category and
148 distributed as competitive or formula-based grants to eligible
149 doula training entities in accordance with s. 445.0075, Florida
150 Statutes, with priority given to entities serving high-need
151 regions as defined in that section.
152 (3) Funds appropriated in this section which are not
153 encumbered by June 30, 2027, shall revert to the General Revenue
154 Fund.
155 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.