Access to doulas

§ 2500-m. Access to doulas. (a) When a person is admitted to a maternal health care facility for delivery and/or inpatient care post-delivery, such person may designate a doula to have access to such person. The maternal health care facility shall not deny such person access to such person's designated doula. For the purposes of this section, the term "maternal health care facility" shall mean a hospital or freestanding birthing center providing perinatal services in accordance with article twenty-eight of this chapter and applicable regulations.

(b) Nothing in this section shall require a maternal health care facility to grant a doula access to a person or area of the facility during emergencies or when such access could compromise the safety of the patient or health care team.

(c) The department shall require all maternal health care facilities to include and/or post on the maternal health care facility's webpage, lobby, and patient waiting areas information stating a birthing parent is allowed to have a doula present in the maternal health care facility for delivery and/or inpatient care post-delivery. Such information shall be written in layperson's language and shall be made available in English and the six most common non-English languages spoken by individuals with limited English proficiency in New York state as based on the most recent census. The department shall produce and provide maternal health care facilities with informational pamphlets stating a birthing parent shall be allowed to have a doula present in the maternal health care facility for delivery and/or inpatient care post-delivery. The informational pamphlet shall be: available in each patient waiting area as a printed deliverable; written in layperson's language; and made available in English and the six most common non-English languages spoken by individuals with limited English proficiency in New York state as based on the most recent census.