Washington: Certify Death Doulas—Families Deserve Support They Can Trust
The Issue
When someone you love is dying, you should be able to focus on being there—not struggle to figure out whether the person supporting your family has the training to help.
My name is Penny Smith, and I've spent 20 years as a hospice nurse. I've seen the difference skilled, compassionate support can make for people who are dying and the families who love them. I've also seen what it looks like when that support is missing.
That's why I'm asking Washington to create an official death doula certification program.
Washington already has a model. In 2022, lawmakers passed HB 1881, establishing voluntary state certification for birth doulas. That credential gives families a way to identify practitioners who meet the state's requirements.
Support at the end of life deserves the same seriousness we give to support at the beginning.
Death doulas provide nonmedical support to people approaching death and their loved ones—from companionship and emotional support to helping families prepare. They complement, rather than replace, medical care.
Yet Washington has no equivalent state-issued death doula credential. Private training programs and certificates exist, but they are not the same as certification backed by a shared state standard.
Families deserve a clearer way to understand someone's qualifications. And death doulas deserve a meaningful path to have their skills recognized.
We call on the Washington State Legislature to establish a voluntary death doula certification program through the Department of Health, with clear training and competency requirements, ethical standards, defined nonmedical responsibilities, and a credential families can verify.
The program should be developed with experienced death doulas, hospice professionals, and the communities they serve. It should recognize relevant experience and keep certification accessible—not create unnecessary barriers to compassionate support.
This is about giving families a clearer standard at a time when they may have little energy to navigate uncertainty.
We cannot take away the pain of losing someone we love. But we can ask for a system that makes finding qualified support less confusing.
Sign this petition to urge Washington lawmakers to create an official death doula certification program. Families deserve support they can trust—through the end of life, too.
Paid partnership. Penny Smith is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
429
The Issue
When someone you love is dying, you should be able to focus on being there—not struggle to figure out whether the person supporting your family has the training to help.
My name is Penny Smith, and I've spent 20 years as a hospice nurse. I've seen the difference skilled, compassionate support can make for people who are dying and the families who love them. I've also seen what it looks like when that support is missing.
That's why I'm asking Washington to create an official death doula certification program.
Washington already has a model. In 2022, lawmakers passed HB 1881, establishing voluntary state certification for birth doulas. That credential gives families a way to identify practitioners who meet the state's requirements.
Support at the end of life deserves the same seriousness we give to support at the beginning.
Death doulas provide nonmedical support to people approaching death and their loved ones—from companionship and emotional support to helping families prepare. They complement, rather than replace, medical care.
Yet Washington has no equivalent state-issued death doula credential. Private training programs and certificates exist, but they are not the same as certification backed by a shared state standard.
Families deserve a clearer way to understand someone's qualifications. And death doulas deserve a meaningful path to have their skills recognized.
We call on the Washington State Legislature to establish a voluntary death doula certification program through the Department of Health, with clear training and competency requirements, ethical standards, defined nonmedical responsibilities, and a credential families can verify.
The program should be developed with experienced death doulas, hospice professionals, and the communities they serve. It should recognize relevant experience and keep certification accessible—not create unnecessary barriers to compassionate support.
This is about giving families a clearer standard at a time when they may have little energy to navigate uncertainty.
We cannot take away the pain of losing someone we love. But we can ask for a system that makes finding qualified support less confusing.
Sign this petition to urge Washington lawmakers to create an official death doula certification program. Families deserve support they can trust—through the end of life, too.
Paid partnership. Penny Smith is a Change Ambassador who receives compensation in connection with this petition.
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on October 2, 2026