,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cbif ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,june #ad1 #bjai,ms4 ,pressley 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,ms4 ,hill of ,california1 ,mr4 ,bera1 and ,ms4 ,omar7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,education and ,labor1 and ,ways and ,means1 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 require group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,affordability is ,access ,act4 #b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to ensure timely access to affordable birth control by requiring coverage without cost-sharing for oral birth control for routine1 daily use that is approved by1 or otherwise legally marketed under regulation by1 the ,food and ,drug ,administration for use by women without a prescription4 #c4 ,findings ,the ,house of ,representatives finds the following3 7#a7 ,birth control is critical health care that almost all women will use at some point in their lifetimes4 7#b7 ,access to the full range of reproductive health care1 including birth control coverage as guaranteed under ,federal law1 provides women with the opportunity to lead healthy lives and get the care they need to reach their goals4 7#c7 ,family planning has well-documented health benefits for women1 newborns1 families1 and communities and can lower the risk of harm to maternal and infant health4 7#d7 ,an estimated #ff1jjj1jjj women of reproductive age 7ages #ae through #dd7 live in the ,united ,states1 of which nearly #gj percent are at risk of having an unintended pregnancy4 ,sixty percent of women of reproductive age are using a contraceptive method and #aj percent of women at risk for unintended pregnancy are not using contraception4 ,the rates of non-use of contraception are highest among those between #ae and #ai years old4 7#e7 ,the birth control benefit enacted under the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh7 has been a crucial step forward in advancing access to birth control and has helped ensure nearly #fb1hjj1jjj women have the power to decide for themselves if and when to start a family4 7#f7 ,despite legal requirements for birth control coverage and access to services1 gaps remain for millions of women4 ,a national survey found that #a in #c women have struggled to afford birth control at some point in their lives1 and as a result1 have used birth control inconsistently4 ,access to birth control is particularly difficult for women who live in contraceptive deserts and lack reasonable access to a health center that offers the full range of contraceptive methods4 7#g7 ,health disparities persist among low-income women1 women of color1 and women who lack access to health coverage and health care providers4 7#h7 ,there are numerous social and economic barriers that make it harder to access birth control1 including rising income and wealth inequality1 gaps in insurance coverage and challenges accessing health providers4 7#i7 ,leading health experts support over-the-counter birth control pills4 #d4 ,sense of the ,house of ,representatives ,it is the sense of the ,house of ,representatives that-- 7#a7 in order to increase women's access to oral birth control1 it must be both easier to obtain and affordable and1 to make it either easier to obtain or more affordable1 but not both1 is to leave unacceptable barriers in place for women2 7#b7 it is imperative that the entities that research and develop oral birth control and whose medical and scientific experts have developed clinical and other evidence that oral birth control for routine1 daily use is safe and effective for women when sold without a prescription1 apply to the ,food and ,drug ,administration for review and approval for sale of such birth control without a prescription2 7#c7 upon the receipt of such an application1 the ,food and ,drug ,administration should determine whether the oral birth control meets the rigorous safety1 efficacy1 and quality standards for over-the-counter use under the ,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic ,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #cja et seq471 and if the product meets those standards1 the ,food and ,drug ,administration should approve the application without delay2 and 7#d7 if and when the ,food and ,drug ,administration approves an oral birth control that is available over-the-counter1 such birth control should be covered by health insurance1 without a prescription and without cost-sharing4 #e4 ,clarifying coverage requirements ,the ,secretaries of ,health and ,human ,services1 ,labor1 and the ,treasury shall clarify that coverage of contraceptives pursuant to section #bgac7;a77#d7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;gg-#ac7;a77#d77 includes coverage of over-the-counter contraceptive methods approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration1 even if the enrollee does not have a prescription for the contraceptive4 #f4 ,rules of construction 7a7 ,non-,interference with ,,fda regulation ,nothing in this ,act 7or the amendment made by this ,act7 shall be construed to modify or interfere with ,food and ,drug ,administration processes to review or approve1 or otherwise determine the safety and efficacy of1 and make available1 non-prescription drugs or devices1 modify or interfere with the scientific and medical considerations of the ,food and ,drug ,administration1 or alter any other authority of the ,food and ,drug ,administration4 7b7 ,non-,preemption ,nothing in this ,act 7or the amendment made by this ,act7 preempts any provision of ,federal or ,state law to the extent that such ,federal or ,state law provides protections for consumers that are greater than the protections provided for in this ,act4 #g4 ,duties of retailers to ensure access to oral birth control for use without a prescription 7a7 ,in general ,any retailer that stocks oral birth control for routine1 daily use that is approved by1 or otherwise legally marketed under regulation by1 the ,food and ,drug ,administration for use without a prescription may not interfere with an individual's access to or purchase of such birth control or access to medically accurate1 comprehensive information about such birth control4 7b7 ,limitation ,nothing in this section shall prohibit a retailer that stocks oral birth control for routine1 daily use from refusing to provide an individual with such oral birth control that is approved by1 or otherwise legally marketed under regulation by1 the ,food and ,drug ,administration if the individual is unable to pay for the birth control1 directly or through insurance coverage4