[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 23 (Wednesday, March 6, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S1600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. Cantwell, and Mr. 
        Corzine):
  S. 1990. A bill to establish a public education awareness program 
relating to emergency contraception; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text 
of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1990

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Contraception 
     Education Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds that--
       (1) each year, 3,000,000 pregnancies, or one half of all 
     pregnancies, in the United States are unintended, and half of 
     all of these unintended pregnancies end in abortion;
       (2) the Food and Drug Administration has declared emergency 
     contraception to be safe and effective in preventing 
     unintended pregnancy, reducing the risk by as much as 89 
     percent;
       (3) the most commonly used forms of emergency contraception 
     are regimens of ordinary birth control pills taken within 72 
     hours of unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure;
       (4) emergency contraception, also known as post-coital 
     contraception, is a responsible means of preventing pregnancy 
     that works like other hormonal contraception to delay 
     ovulation, prevent fertilization or prevent implantation;
       (5) emergency contraception does not cause abortion and 
     will not affect an established pregnancy;
       (6) it is estimated that the use of emergency contraception 
     could cut the number of unintended pregnancies in half, 
     thereby reducing the need for abortion;
       (7) emergency contraceptive use is the United States 
     remains low, and 9 in 10 women of reproductive age remain 
     unaware of the method;
       (8) although the American College of Obstetricians and 
     Gynecologists recommends that doctors routinely offer women 
     of reproductive age a prescription for emergency 
     contraceptive pills during their annual visit, only 1 in 5 
     ob/gyns routinely discuss emergency contraception with their 
     patients, suggesting the need for greater provider and 
     patient education;
       (9) in light of their safety and efficacy, both the 
     American Medical Association and the American College of 
     Obstetricians and Gynecologists have endorsed more widespread 
     availability of emergency contraceptive pills, and have 
     recommended that dedicated emergency contraceptive products 
     be available without a prescription;
       (10) Healthy People 2010, published by the Office of the 
     Surgeon General, establishes a 10-year national public health 
     goal of increasing the proportion of health care providers 
     who provide emergency contraception to their patients; and
       (11) public awareness campaigns targeting women and health 
     care providers will help remove many of the barriers to 
     emergency contraception and will help bring this important 
     means of pregnancy prevention to American women.

     SEC. 3. EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION EDUCATION AND INFORMATION 
                   PROGRAMS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Emergency contraception.--The term ``emergency 
     contraception'' means a drug or device (as the terms are 
     defined in section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
     Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321)) that is--
       (A) used after sexual relations; and
       (B) prevents pregnancy, by preventing ovulation, 
     fertilization of an egg, or implantation of an egg in a 
     uterus.
       (2) Health care provider.--The term ``health care 
     provider'' means an individual who is licensed or certified 
     under State law to provide health care services and who is 
     operating within the scope of such license.
       (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
     ``institution of higher education'' has the same meaning 
     given such term in section 1201(a) of the Higher Education 
     Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(a)).
       (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Health and Human Services.
       (b) Emergency Contraception Public Education Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the Director 
     of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall 
     develop and disseminate to the public information on 
     emergency contraception.
       (2) Dissemination.--The Secretary may disseminate 
     information under paragraph (1) directly or through 
     arrangements with nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, 
     institutions of higher education, Federal, State, or local 
     agencies, clinics and the media.
       (3) Information.--The information disseminated under 
     paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum, a description of 
     emergency contraception, and an explanation of the use, 
     safety, efficacy, and availability of such contraception.
       (c) Emergency Contraception Information Program for Health 
     Care Providers.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
     Administration and in consultation with major medical and 
     public health organizations, shall develop and disseminate to 
     health care providers information on emergency contraception.
       (2) Information.--The information disseminated under 
     paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum--
       (A) information describing the use, safety, efficacy and 
     availability of emergency contraception;
       (B) a recommendation regarding the use of such 
     contraception in appropriate cases; and
       (C) information explaining how to obtain copies of the 
     information developed under subsection (b), for distribution 
     to the patients of the providers.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $10,000,000 for 
     each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007.
                                 ______