This bill establishes the NIH IMPROVE Initiative to advance maternal health research and reduce preventable maternal deaths and serious pregnancy complications. It directs the NIH Director to fund research focused on reducing health disparities, understanding regional factors affecting maternal outcomes, and implementing community-based interventions for disproportionately affected populations. The initiative authorizes $73.4 million annually from 2026 through 2031 for grants and contracts to support this work. The bill directly affects NIH researchers and communities with high maternal mortality rates, particularly those facing racial and geographic health disparities.
This bill directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to launch a national public education campaign about abortion access. The campaign must provide medically accurate information on where to obtain abortion services (including medication abortion), legal rights for out-of-state care, identifying misleading anti-abortion centers, spotting disinformation, and protecting personal health data. It specifically targets underserved communities like people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, rural residents, and those with low incomes, while prohibiting the promotion of misinformation or abstinence-only programs.
The SAD Act prohibits crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) from making deceptive claims about offering abortion services, contraception, or licensed medical care. It targets CPCs - anti-abortion organizations that mislead patients with false information, often near community health centers - to prevent them from discouraging access to reproductive care. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the law, with penalties up to $100,000 per violation or 50% of a CPC’s revenue, and requires annual FTC reports on enforcement actions. This directly affects CPCs and aims to ensure accurate information for people seeking abortion care, particularly low-income women and women of color facing heightened barriers post-Dobbs.
The MARCH for Military Servicemembers Act (HR 3969) repeals Section 1093 of title 10, United States Code, which currently prohibits the use of Department of Defense funds and facilities for abortion care. This change would directly affect military servicemembers by enabling them to access abortion services through military healthcare systems, removing a longstanding funding barrier. The key provision eliminates the specific restriction, allowing the Department of Defense to provide or fund such care as part of standard military health services. The bill focuses on removing a legal constraint, not mandating specific services or outcomes.
The RESTORE Act aims to improve reproductive health care by promoting "restorative reproductive medicine" that focuses on diagnosing and treating underlying causes of infertility and reproductive health conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and uterine fibroids. Key provisions include prohibiting discrimination against health care providers who decline to provide or refer for assisted reproductive technology due to religious or moral beliefs, requiring regular reports on standard care for infertility diagnosis, and modernizing medical coding to better classify and reimburse restorative treatments. The bill also expands research into reproductive health conditions, advances education about fertility awareness-based methods, and increases access to Title X funding for restorative reproductive medicine services. These changes are designed to improve access to comprehensive reproductive health care for people experiencing infertility. The legislation specifically targets both women and men affected by reproductive health conditions and aims to address gaps in current care approaches.
S 422, the Right to Contraception Act, establishes a federal statutory right for individuals to access contraceptives and for healthcare providers to offer contraceptive services, free from state restrictions. It directly affects all Americans seeking or providing contraception, particularly protecting historically marginalized groups like people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and low-income or rural residents who face barriers to care. The bill overrides state laws that restrict access - such as bans on specific contraceptives, provider refusal policies based on personal beliefs, or Medicaid restrictions - and prohibits government actions that impede this right. Enforcement allows the Attorney General or affected individuals to challenge violations in court, with courts required to strike down restrictive laws.
This bill, the Births in Custody Reporting Act of 2025 (BCRA), requires states receiving certain federal crime control funds to submit quarterly, anonymized reports to the Attorney General about pregnant individuals or those who gave birth while incarcerated in state or local facilities (including jails, prisons, and juvenile facilities). The reports must include data on pregnancy outcomes, prenatal and postpartum medical care, restraint use during pregnancy or delivery, and placement in restrictive housing. States failing to comply face potential reductions of up to 10% in their allocated federal funds for the relevant program. The Attorney General must publish these reports publicly and conduct a study on the data to improve care and examine health outcomes for incarcerated pregnant individuals.
HR 211, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, eliminates out-of-pocket costs for specific contraceptives for veterans using VA healthcare. It amends Section 1722A of Title 38 to prohibit the VA from charging veterans copayments for contraceptive items that must be covered without cost-sharing under federal law (as required by Section 2713(a)(4) of the Public Health Service Act). This means veterans will not pay any amount for contraceptives covered by the federal mandate, such as birth control pills or IUDs, when obtained through the VA system. The bill directly affects veterans enrolled in VA healthcare seeking contraceptive services, ensuring no additional costs beyond what is already mandated for these items.
This bill blocks federal funding for Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its clinics for one year unless they certify they won't perform abortions. Exceptions apply for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, or when a woman's life is in danger due to a medical condition. The bill redirects the redirected funds to community health centers and other providers serving women's health needs, authorizing $235 million for this purpose. It explicitly states this will not reduce overall federal funding for women's health services. The policy change directly affects Planned Parenthood clinics receiving federal funds, requiring them to certify abortion restrictions or lose funding.
HR 7 prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions or health insurance plans covering abortion, with exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape, incest, or when a woman's life is endangered. It blocks federal premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act for health plans covering abortion (except in specified cases) and requires clear disclosure of abortion coverage and related surcharges in plan materials. The bill allows individuals or employers to purchase separate abortion coverage using non-federal funds, such as out-of-pocket payments, without affecting federal subsidies. It directly affects federal health programs, ACA marketplace plans, and health insurance issuers offering coverage that includes abortion services.