[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 37 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 37

         Supporting women's reproductive health care decisions.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 22, 2015

Mrs. Boxer (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. 
  Booker, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Coons, Mr. Durbin, 
 Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, 
Mr. King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Menendez, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Peters, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schumer, 
  Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Tester, Mr. Udall, Ms. Warren, Mr. 
    Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Franken) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
                          Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
         Supporting women's reproductive health care decisions.

Whereas access to comprehensive reproductive health care is critical to 
        improving the health and well-being of women and their families and is 
        an essential part of their economic security;
Whereas access to affordable contraceptives, including emergency contraceptives, 
        and medically accurate information prevents unintended pregnancies, 
        thereby improving the health of women, children, families, and society 
        as a whole;
Whereas Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), was decided 42 years ago and clarifies 
        that women have a constitutional right to plan their families and 
        futures;
Whereas private reproductive health care decisions should be decided by women 
        and their health care providers;
Whereas the requirement under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 
        (Public Law 111-148) that all insurance plans cover contraception 
        without cost sharing has saved women at least $483,000,000, and more 
        than 30,000,000 women are eligible for this benefit;
Whereas research suggests that increasing the rate of contraceptive use may be 
        associated with the decline in teen pregnancy by 50 percent since 1990;
Whereas elected officials in many States and Congress have attempted to block or 
        curtail women's access to medical care and information in order to 
        fulfill a political agenda, and they have often succeeded in such 
        attempts;
Whereas there have been numerous attempts, both legal and legislative, to allow 
        insurance companies and employers to deny women coverage for all 
        contraceptive methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration, even 
        though the law requires such coverage, and such methods are based on a 
        foundation of scientific evidence;
Whereas since the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 
        States have enacted hundreds of laws restricting access to women's 
        reproductive health care and 24 States have enacted laws that reduce 
        abortion coverage in plans that are offered through the Exchanges 
        established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and
Whereas 24 States have laws or policies that interfere with women's health care 
        providers in a way that undermines, instead of strengthens, patient 
        safety: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate supports efforts to--
            (1) ensure that all women have access to the best 
        available, scientifically based health care and information;
            (2) ensure that women can make their own private health 
        care decisions with access to comprehensive, unbiased 
        information and confidentiality;
            (3) ensure that women and families, not their employers, 
        make their own decisions about their health care;
            (4) prohibit employers or government entities from 
        interfering with or denying reproductive health care services 
        guaranteed by law, including access to contraception without 
        cost;
            (5) promote preventive health care services and wellness 
        for women;
            (6) guarantee the constitutionally protected right to safe, 
        legal abortion services;
            (7) ensure that women have access to health care that 
        fosters safe childbearing, with resources available to reduce 
        maternal and infant morbidity and mortality;
            (8) ensure that all women have access to comprehensive, 
        affordable insurance coverage that includes pregnancy-related 
        care, such as prenatal care, miscarriage management, family 
        planning services, abortions, labor and delivery services, and 
        postnatal care; and
            (9) enact legislation that improves and expands women's 
        access to reproductive health care regardless of the State 
        within which they reside.
                                 <all>