Bill
HB 5826
Creates the Michigan Doula Scholarship Program: provides up to $3,000 for approved doula training to residents who commit to serve in underserved areas.
Status & Key Dates
- House Bill 5826 (sponsored by Rep. Mai Xiong) was enacted as Public Act 256 of 2024.
- Approved by Governor: January 21, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State: January 21, 2025.
- Effective date: April 2, 2025.
- Referred to appropriations: January 22, 2025 (implementation depends on future appropriations).
Purpose
- Establish a state-administered program to reduce financial barriers to doula training and increase the number of doulas serving medically underserved communities in Michigan.
What the law does — main provisions
- Creates the Doula Scholarship Program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
- Authorizes one-time scholarships of up to $3,000 per person for approved doula training costs (books, workshop fees, examination fees, membership fees, etc.).
- Limits each individual to a single scholarship award and caps awards at $3,000.
- Requires scholarship applicants to:
- Be Michigan residents and submit a signed statement of intent to become a doula in Michigan;
- Demonstrate financial hardship (by household income or participation in programs such as SNAP, WIC, SSI, or similar);
- Agree to serve as a doula in a federal health professional shortage area (per 42 USC 254e) or with a medically underserved population (per 42 USC 254b);
- Meet any additional DHHS rule-based standards.
- Requires recipients, within six months of award, to document to DHHS that they have completed or are working toward completing doula training or are serving as a doula; failure to do so triggers DHHS repayment actions.
- Specifies DHHS must promulgate implementing rules and publicize the program (in partnership with universities, nonprofits, and other entities).
- Doula training must be approved by the Michigan Doula Advisory Council within DHHS.
Funding & administration
- Establishes the Doula Scholarship Fund in the state treasury. The State Treasurer may accept deposits from any source, invest the fund, and credit earnings to it. Fund balances do not lapse to the General Fund.
- DHHS is the fund administrator for auditing; expenditures require legislative appropriation.
Fiscal impact / implementation considerations
- Actual program costs depend on appropriations. The bill itself had no immediate fiscal effect on DHHS or local governments.
- FY 2024–25 included a one-time $2.9 million appropriation for “doula training and continuing education,” some of which may be usable for this program subject to statutory definitions and appropriations.
- DHHS may incur minor administrative costs to adopt rules and run the program; if new staff (FTEs) are required, an average annual cost per FTE was estimated at about $137,500 (salary + benefits). Treasury’s ongoing investment/administration costs estimated at less than $100 based on likely fund size.
Who is affected
- Prospective doulas in Michigan who meet residency and financial hardship criteria — especially those willing to work in federally designated health professional shortage areas or with medically underserved populations.
- DHHS (program administration, rulemaking, oversight), the State Treasurer (fund management), training providers approved by the Michigan Doula Advisory Council, and community partners involved in outreach.
- Indirectly may affect birthing people in underserved areas through expanded doula availability.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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