DOULA for VA Act of 2022

IIB 117TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 2521 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 5, 2022 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs AN ACT To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the feasibility and advisability of furnishing doula services to certain veterans, and for other pur- poses. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Dec 06, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2521.RFS H2521 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 HR 2521 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Delivering Optimally 2 Urgent Labor Access for Veterans Affairs Act of 2022’’ 3 or the ‘‘DOULA for VA Act of 2022’’. 4 SEC. 2. FEASIBILITY AND ADVISABILITY STUDY ON DOULA 5 SUPPORT FOR VETERANS. 6 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 7 carry out a study on the feasibility and advisability of fur- 8 nishing doula services to covered vetearns. Such study 9 shall include an analysis of— 10 (1) measures taken by other Federal, State, 11 and local entities to ensure the appropriate certifi- 12 cation of doulas; and 13 (2) the extent to which such measures, or simi- 14 lar measures, may be adequate for purposes of such 15 furnishment. 16 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 17 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall sub- 18 mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House 19 of Representatives and the Senate a report on the findings 20 of the study under subsection (a) that shall include a de- 21 termination by the Secretary as to whether furnishing 22 doula services to covered veterans is feasible and advisable. 23 (c) COVERED VETERAN DEFINED.—In this section, 24 the term ‘‘covered veteran’’ means a pregnant veteran or 25 a formerly pregnant veteran (with respect to doula services 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Dec 06, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2521.RFS H2521 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 HR 2521 RFS to be furnished post-partum) who is enrolled in the patient 1 enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs 2 under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code. 3 Passed the House of Representatives December 1, 2022. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Dec 06, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2521.RFS H2521 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS