The DOULA for VA Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced and sent to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time, and the bill is waiting for the committee to decide on its next steps.
Legislative Progress
Senate
House
President
Law
Could go either way
The bill has support from both parties and addresses a fast-growing group of veterans, but it is currently only a proposal in the early stages of the lawmaking process.
Key Points
The bill creates a five-year test program to give pregnant veterans access to doulas. Doulas are trained professionals who provide physical and emotional support to mothers before, during, and after they give birth.
Veterans in the program would receive up to 10 sessions with a doula. This includes visits during pregnancy, support during labor and delivery, and follow-up care after the baby is born to help with recovery and mental health.
The program focuses on improving health outcomes for groups at higher risk. This includes older veterans, Black veterans, and those living in rural areas or on tribal lands who may not have easy access to maternity care.
The VA would provide special training for these doulas. They would learn how to support veterans who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder or other trauma related to their military service.
The government would pay up to $3,500 per veteran for these services. The goal is to see if having a doula helps veterans stay connected to VA health care and leads to healthier babies and mothers.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Mar 26, 2026Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Mar 26, 2026
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Related Bills
No related bills have been identified yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
DOULA for VA Act of 2026
Bill NumberS 4225
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
