SCR 71: REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A SUNRISE REVIEW OF THE REGISTRATION AND REGULATION OF doulas.

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A SUNRISE REVIEW OF THE REGISTRATION AND REGULATION OF doulas.

     WHEREAS, doulas are trained professionals who provide non-medical emotional, physical, and informational support to individuals before, during, and after childbirth; and

     WHEREAS, unlike midwives, doulas do not provide clinical care but assist with advocacy, pain management techniques, and emotional support; and

     WHEREAS, several states have Medicaid reimbursement programs for doula services, aiming to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly for underserved populations; and

     WHEREAS, House Bill No. 434, introduced during the Regular Session of 2025, proposes that any person providing doula services shall be subject to regulation by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; and

     WHEREAS, section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires new measures subjecting unregulated professions and vocations to licensing or other regulatory controls to be referred to the Auditor for analysis; and

     WHEREAS, section 26H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, further requires that referral to the Auditor shall be by a concurrent resolution that identifies a specific legislative bill to be analyzed; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Auditor is requested to conduct a sunrise review of the registration and regulation of doulas as proposed by House Bill No. 434, introduced during the Regular Session of 2025; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit a report of the Auditor's findings to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2026; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor.

Report Title: 

Auditor; Sunrise Review; Doulas; DCCA