[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 183 (Tuesday, November 29, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8600-H8602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DELIVERING OPTIMALLY URGENT LABOR ACCESS FOR VETERANS AFFAIRS ACT OF
2022
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2521) to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to
establish a pilot program to furnish doula services to veterans, as
amended.
[[Page H8601]]
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2521
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Delivering Optimally Urgent
Labor Access for Veterans Affairs Act of 2022'' or the
``DOULA for VA Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. FEASIBILITY AND ADVISABILITY STUDY ON DOULA SUPPORT
FOR VETERANS.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry
out a study on the feasibility and advisability of furnishing
doula services to covered vetearns. Such study shall include
an analysis of--
(1) measures taken by other Federal, State, and local
entities to ensure the appropriate certification of doulas;
and
(2) the extent to which such measures, or similar measures,
may be adequate for purposes of such furnishment.
(b) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate a report on the findings of
the study under subsection (a) that shall include a
determination by the Secretary as to whether furnishing doula
services to covered veterans is feasible and advisable.
(c) Covered Veteran Defined.--In this section, the term
``covered veteran'' means a pregnant veteran or a formerly
pregnant veteran (with respect to doula services to be
furnished post-partum) who is enrolled in the patient
enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs under
section 1705 of title 38, United States Code.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Takano) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material on H.R. 2521, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2521, as amended, the DOULA
for VA Act of 2022. This bill, authored and long championed by
Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, would bring VA closer to providing the
full scope of reproductive healthcare that our veterans and their
newborns deserve. This bill would require VA conduct a feasibility and
advisability study to determine whether to provide pregnant veterans
access to doula support services.
The United States has a maternal mortality crisis, and our veterans
are not protected from it. In fact, they are disproportionately more
likely to experience severe maternal mental health outcomes than their
civilian counterparts.
There is a growing body of research that shows that doula care is an
effective tool in mitigating pre and postpartum mental health crises
and can be a factor in reducing childbirth complications. The VA must
investigate the ability to provide such holistic and effective care.
Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this bill. I encourage all my
colleagues to join me in supporting Mrs. Lawrence's critical and
commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2521, the Delivering
Optimally Urgent Labor Access for Veterans Affairs Act of 2022, or the
DOULA for VA Act of 2022.
Women are now our fastest growing group within the veteran community.
More than 2 million women veterans live in the U.S. today. Many of them
are within childbearing age.
In the last few years, the use of maternal services within the VHA
has increased by 44 percent. The DOULA for VA Act would require VA to
conduct a study to provide doula services for pregnant veterans
enrolled in the VA healthcare system.
Mr. Speaker, a doula is a trained companion who provides physical and
emotional support to women before, during, and after childbirth. They
also offer guidance and educational support for new mothers. However,
doulas are not medically trained professionals, and there are no
certifying or licensing standards for doulas, which is why it is
imperative that doulas meet the minimum quality and safety standards
set forth by the VA.
This bill will provide VA and Congress with valuable insight into the
trade, and I ask all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2521.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), the author of H.R. 2521 and my good friend,
who serves on the Appropriations Committee and the Oversight and Reform
Committee.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his dedication
and the efforts of his entire team in bringing this bill to the floor.
I also thank the ranking member for his support of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the DOULA for VA
Act.
Maternal mortality in the United States is a public health crisis.
While maternal mortality rates have declined globally over the past
three decades, the United States' maternal mortality rates have
climbed.
As we work to address this serious public health issue, we have a
responsibility to make sure that our pregnant veterans are included in
the conversation. This is because veterans who have experienced
pregnancy disproportionately experience mental health afflictions such
as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
Studies have found that pregnant veterans were twice as likely to
have a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and stress disorder, and more
than those who had not experienced a pregnancy.
We must provide veterans who have served our country optimal maternal
and mental health care that takes into consideration their veteran-
specific experiences.
Doulas have a proven positive effect on the health outcome of the
mother and child. As the use of doula services continue to grow, we
must look at ways to expand maternal health services for our women in
the VA.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women's
Issues for supporting this effort, the House leadership and their
hardworking staff, and the amazing committee staff for working to
advance this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage all my colleagues to
support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I again ask my colleagues to join me in
passing H.R. 2521, as amended. With a heavy heart, I take this moment
to pay tribute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence). She
has joined us on Veterans Affairs' codels and done factfinding on
behalf of the committee for the betterment of our veterans. I thank her
for that, and I wish her the best of the new opportunities that she
will encounter after she leaves this body.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2521, DOULA
for VA Act of 2021--to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to
establish a pilot program to furnish doula services to veterans.
Doulas provide emotional and physical support to pregnant people
during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. A doula will assist
during birth by providing a positive and safe birthing experience.
Studies show that when doulas are present in the birthing process
labors are shorter, it is less likely that a C-section will be needed,
there are less requests for pain medication, and there is a more
positive childbirth experience.
In 2013, the Journal of Perinatal Education conducted a study which
found that expectant mothers matched with a doula had better birth
outcomes than did mothers who gave birth without involvement of a
doula.
Doulas work to develop birthing plans, help the parent understand
labor and delivery procedures, communicate preferences to the medical
staff, and teach relaxation and breathing skills, along with many other
non-clinical tasks that improve the birthing experience.
Currently, Veterans Affairs benefits do not cover doulas.
Improving the childbirth experience should be a priority for us all.
Veterans and their family members deserve to have positive birthing
experiences, just as all Amencans do.
[[Page H8602]]
Maternal mortality is an issue that continues to plague the United
States health care system. In 2020, 861 women died of maternal causes
in the United States. In the U.S., two-thirds of those pregnancy-
related deaths are preventable and for every pregnancy-related death,
there are 70 pregnancy-related near-death experiences. It's extremely
important that we remove barriers in health care that may be
contributing to these deaths.
Maternal mortality is caused by several issues such as cardiovascular
problems, high blood pressure, blood clots, and complications of labor
and delivery.
One step to removing health care barriers is to provide more services
such as doulas who can advocate for the parent and provide positive
birthing experiences.
From 2010 through 2015, the use of maternity services from the
Veterans Health Administration increased by 44 percent.
If doula services are improving care for the general public, then
veterans should be provided with the opportunity to utilize doula
services as well.
A study in 2010 found that veterans returning from Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom who experienced pregnancy were
twice as likely to have a diagnosis of depression, anxiety,
posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia as
compared to those who had not experienced a pregnancy.
H.R. 2521, Doula for VA Act of 2021 is important because we should be
working to improve the lives of women and children in the United
States. This bill directly impacts the health of veterans and their
families.
I know that this bill is important to my constituents in Houston.
Over 282,000 Veterans live in the Houston area, and almost 25,000
Veterans in Houston are women. Improving the birthing experience for
these women is a top priority to me.
I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical bill
that will direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a
pilot program to furnish doula services to veterans.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Takano) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2521, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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