---
title: HB 1264. Medical assistance; pilot program to provide coverage under Medicaid program for doula care for pregnant Medicaid recipients; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb1264
cite_as: HB 1264, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1264
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1264.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1264/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73057
date: 2026-02-12
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1264.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 1264
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2026-02-10
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Debra Bazemore
- Debbie Buckner
- Mekyah McQueen
- Carolyn Hugley
- Park Cannon
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1264/2025
upstream_id: 2113623
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- Medicaid
- maternal health
- doula care
- pregnancy coverage
- health policy
---
# HB 1264. Medical assistance; pilot program to provide coverage under Medicaid program for doula care for pregnant Medicaid recipients; provide
## Text
House Bill 1264
By: Representatives Bazemore of the 69th, Buckner of the 137th, McQueen of the 61st, Hugley
of the 141st, and Cannon of the 58th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to medical assistance generally, so as to provide for a pilot program to provide
coverage under the Medicaid program for doula care for pregnant Medicaid recipients; to
provide for reimbursement; to provide for doula qualifications; to provide for a report; to
provide for termination of the pilot project and automatic repeal; to provide for related
matters; to provide for contingent effectiveness upon appropriation of funds; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 7 of Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
medical assistance generally, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"49-4-159.5.
(a) The department shall develop and implement a pilot program to provide Medicaid
coverage for doula care for pregnant Medicaid recipients. Such pilot program may provide
reimbursement for up to five doula visits for each pregnant Medicaid recipient, which may
include visits for prepartum care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care.
(b) All doulas participating in the pilot program shall have completed appropriate training,
as determined by the department.
(c) No later than December 31, 2028, the department shall submit a detailed written report
on the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program to the Governor, the President
of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairpersons of the
House Committee on Health, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, the House
Committee on Appropriations, and the Senate Appropriations Committee. Such report
shall include the health outcomes of participants and recommendations on the best process
of reimbursing doulas to promote retention in the perinatal workforce. The report shall also
include recommendations as to expansion of the pilot program state wide.
(d) The pilot program created by this Code section shall terminate on January 1, 2029, and
this Code section shall be repealed by operation of law on such date."
SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective only upon the effective date of a specific appropriation of
funds for purposes of this Act, as expressed in a line item making specific reference to such
Act in a General Appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would create a pilot program letting Medicaid cover doula care for pregnant recipients, paying for up to five visits per person, but only if lawmakers separately fund it.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia's Medicaid program does not currently pay for doula care, the support some pregnant people get from trained non-medical companions before, during, and after childbirth. This bill would add a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 49-4-159.5) directing the Department of Community Health to build a pilot program that reimburses doula care for pregnant Medicaid recipients, covering up to five visits covering prepartum, labor and delivery, and postpartum care.
Doulas would need training approved by the department to take part. By December 31, 2028, the department must send a detailed report on the program's results, including health outcomes and recommendations on paying doulas and expanding the program statewide, to the Governor and several legislative leaders and committees. The pilot would automatically end and the law would repeal itself on January 1, 2029. The whole Act only takes effect if the General Assembly passes a specific budget line item funding it.
### What it does
- Directs the Department of Community Health to create a Medicaid pilot program covering doula care for pregnant recipients.
- Caps reimbursement at up to five doula visits per pregnant Medicaid recipient, covering prepartum, labor and delivery, and postpartum care.
- Requires doulas in the program to complete training approved by the department before participating.
- Requires a written report to state leaders and legislative committees by December 31, 2028 on outcomes and statewide expansion.
- Sets the pilot program and the new Code section to automatically terminate and repeal on January 1, 2029.
- Makes the entire Act contingent on the General Assembly passing a specific budget appropriation funding it.
### Who it affects
Pregnant Georgians enrolled in Medicaid, doulas seeking Medicaid reimbursement and needing department-approved training, and the Department of Community Health, which must design, run, and report on the pilot program.
### Why it matters
If funded, pregnant Medicaid recipients could get paid doula support during pregnancy, birth, and after delivery, which could affect maternal health outcomes. Because the bill only takes effect if the legislature appropriates specific money for it, whether it actually happens depends on a future budget decision.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 adds O.C.G.A. § 49-4-159.5, creating the pilot program and capping coverage at five doula visits per pregnant Medicaid recipient.
- Subsection (b) requires all participating doulas to complete training approved by the Department of Community Health.
- Subsection (c) requires a detailed report by December 31, 2028 to the Governor, legislative leaders, and named House and Senate committees on health outcomes and reimbursement recommendations.
- Subsection (d) terminates the pilot program and repeals the Code section by operation of law on January 1, 2029.
- Section 2 makes the entire Act effective only if a General Appropriations Act includes a specific line item funding it.
- Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2026-02-10)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2026-02-12)
- Sponsors: Debra Bazemore, Debbie Buckner, Mekyah McQueen, Carolyn Hugley, Park Cannon
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73057
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1264.md?full=1