,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #afib ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ab1 #bjai,ms4 ,lee of ,california 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,mr4 ,foster1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,gomez1 ,ms4 ,haaland1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,mr4 ,krishnamoorthi1 ,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire1 ,mr4 ,larsen of ,washington1 ,mrs4 ,lawrence1 ,mr4 ,levin of ,michigan1 ,mr4 ,ted ,lieu of ,california1 ,mrs4 ,lowey1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington1 ,mr4 ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,bera1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,carbajal1 ,mr4 ,case1 ,mr4 ,casten of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,judy ,chu of ,california1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,ms4 ,clark of ,massachusetts1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,crist1 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4 ,de,saulnier1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,mc,nerney1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,morelle1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,mr4 ,neguse1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 ,mr4 ,price of ,north ,carolina1 ,mr4 ,rose of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,rouda1 ,mr4 ,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,mr4 ,swalwell of ,california1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,ms4 ,wexton1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,norcross1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mr4 ,schneider1 ,mr4 ,cummings1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mr4 ,quigley1 ,mrs4 ,lee of ,nevada1 ,mr4 ,delgado1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 ,mr4 ,aguilar1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,pallone1 ,mr4 ,gallego1 ,mr4 ,heck1 ,ms4 ,matsui1 ,miss ,rice of ,new ,york1 and ,mrs4 ,torres of ,california7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,ways and ,means1 and ,oversight and ,reform1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to ensure affordable abortion coverage and care for every woman1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,equal ,access to ,abortion ,coverage in ,health ,insurance 7,,each ,woman7 ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,affordable1 comprehensive health insurance that includes coverage for a full range of pregnancy-related care1 including abortion1 is critical to the health of every person regardless of actual or perceived race1 color1 national origin1 immigration status1 sex 7including sexual orientation1 gender identity1 pregnancy1 childbirth1 a medical condition relating to pregnancy or childbirth1 or sex stereotyping71 age1 or disability status4 7#b7 ,neither a woman's income level nor her type of insurance should prevent her from having access to a full range of pregnancy-related care1 including abortion services4 7#c7 ,no woman should have the decision to have1 or not to have1 an abortion made for her based on her ability or inability to afford the procedure4 7#d7 ,since #aigf1 the ,federal ,government has withheld funds for abortion coverage in most circumstances1 affecting women of reproductive age in the ,united ,states who are insured through the ,medicaid program1 as well as women who receive insurance or care through other federal health plans and programs4 ,of women aged #ae-dd enrolled in ,medicaid in #bjag1 #ee percent lived in the #ce ,states and the ,district of ,columbia that do not cover abortion1 except in limited circumstances4 ,this amounts to roughly #g4c million women of reproductive age1 including #c4a million women living below the ,federal poverty level4 ,women of color are disproportionately likely to be insured by the ,medicaid program3 ,nationwide1 #cb percent of ,black women and #bg percent of ,hispanic women aged #ae-dd were enrolled in ,medicaid in #bjag1 compared with #af percent of ,white women4 7#e7 ,moreover1 #bf ,states also prohibit abortion coverage in private insurance plans within or beyond health insurance marketplaces under the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act4 7#f7 ,restrictions on abortion coverage interfere with a woman's personal decision making1 with her health and well-being1 and with her constitutionally protected right to a safe and legal medical procedure4 7#g7 ,restrictions on abortion coverage have a disproportionate impact on low-income women1 women of color1 immigrant women1 and young women4 ,these women are already disadvantaged in their access to the resources1 information1 and services necessary to prevent an unintended pregnancy or to carry a healthy pregnancy to term4 #c4 ,abortion coverage and care regardless of income or source of insurance 7a7 ,ensuring abortion coverage and care through the ,federal ,government in its role as an insurer1 employer1 or health care provider ,the ,federal ,government shall-- 7#a7 ensure coverage for abortion care in public health insurance programs including ,medicaid1 ,medicare1 and the ,children's ,health ,insurance ,program2 7#b7 in its role as an employer or health plan sponsor1 ensure coverage for abortion care for participants and beneficiaries2 and 7#c7 in its role as a provider of health services1 ensure abortion care is made available to individuals who are eligible to receive services in its own facilities or in facilities with which it contracts to provide medical care4 7b7 ,prohibiting restrictions on private insurance coverage of abortion care 7#a7 ,federal restrictions ,the ,federal ,government shall not prohibit1 restrict1 or otherwise inhibit insurance coverage of abortion care by ,state or local government or by private health plans4 7#b7 ,state and local government restrictions ,state and local governments shall not prohibit1 restrict1 or otherwise inhibit insurance coverage of abortion care by private health plans4 #d4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of the ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,federal ,government1 acting in its capacity as an insurer1 employer1 or health care provider1 should serve as a model for the ,nation to ensure coverage of abortion care2 and 7#b7 moreover1 restrictions on coverage of abortion care in the private insurance market must end4 #e4 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to have any effect on any ,federal1 ,state1 or local law that includes more protections for abortion coverage or care than those set forth in this ,act4 #f4 ,severability ,if any portion of this ,act or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid1 such invalidity shall not affect the portions or applications of this ,act which can be given effect without the invalid portion or application4