{"data":{"id":"us-va/va.-code-32.1-77.1","jurisdiction":"us-va","citation":"Va. Code § 32.1-77.1","heading":"State-certified doulas; certification","body":"A. As used in this section, \"state-certified doula\" means a trained, community-based nonmedical professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a pregnant person during the antepartum or intrapartum period or during the period up to one year postpartum and who has been certified by a body approved by the Board for such purpose in accordance with the provisions of this section.B. No person shall use or assume the title \"state-certified doula\" unless such person is a community-based doula who (i) has received training and education as a doula from an entity approved by a body approved by the Board for such purpose and (ii) has been certified as a doula by a body approved by the Board for such purpose.C. No entity shall hold itself out as providing training and education necessary to meet the requirements of clause (i) of subsection B unless its curriculum and training program has been approved by a body approved by the Board for such purpose.D. The Board shall adopt regulations setting forth the requirements for (i) use of the title \"state-certified doula\" and (ii) training and education necessary to satisfy the requirements for certification by the Department as a state-certified doula.E. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B, a person who is certified by a national credentialing organization that is approved by a body approved by the Board for such purpose who does not meet the requirements of clause (i) of subsection B shall also be eligible for state certification.F. Certification requirements for state-certified doulas shall reflect national best practices pertaining to community-based doula training and certification.G. The Department shall make a registry of state-certified doulas in the Commonwealth available to the public through a body approved by the Board to certify doulas. The Department shall also make a list of entities approved to provide training and education necessary to meet the requirements of clause (i) of subsection B available to the public through a body approved by the Board to certify doulas.H. Nothing in this section shall prohibit any person from practicing as a doula in the Commonwealth, regardless of whether such person is certified in accordance with the provisions of this section.2020, c. 724.","path":["Title 32.1. Health","Chapter 3. Medical Care Services","Article 2. Maternal and Child Health Services and Crippled Children's Services"],"source_url":"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/32.1-77.1/","current_through":"9/4/2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-04T15:15:34Z","sha256":"5d167a85b69333518ddcee922f7a0d587088639b9e2f5f08a17f4cb61094e700","source_id":"us-va","stale":true,"prev":"us-va/va.-code-32.1-77","next":"us-va/va.-code-32.1-78"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}