,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #abch ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #bj1 #bjba,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,ms4 ,hassan1 ,ms4 ,sinema1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,tester1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,carper1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 and ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 to ensure that members of the ,armed ,forces and their families have access to the contraception they need in order to promote the health and readiness of all members of the ,armed ,forces1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,access to ,contraception for ,servicemembers and ,dependents ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,women are serving in the ,armed ,forces at increasing rates1 playing a critical role in the national security of the ,united ,states4 ,women comprise more than #ah percent of members of the ,armed ,forces1 and as of fiscal year #bjai1 more than #cij1jjj women serve on active duty in the ,armed ,forces or in the reserve components4 ,an estimated several thousand transgender men also serve on active duty in the ,armed ,forces and in the reserve components1 in addition to non-binary members and those who identify with a different gender4 7#b7 ,ninety-five percent of women serving in the ,armed ,forces are of reproductive age and as of #bjai1 more than #gjj1jjj female spouses and dependents of members of the ,armed ,forces on active duty are of reproductive age4 7#c7 ,the ,,tricare program covered more than #a1egj1jjj women of reproductive age in #bjai1 including spouses and dependents of members of the ,armed ,forces on active duty4 ,additionally1 thousands of transgender dependents of members of the ,armed ,forces are covered by the ,,tricare program4 7#d7 ,the right to access contraception is grounded in the principle that contraception and the ability to determine if and when to have children are inextricably tied to one's wellbeing1 equality1 and ability to determine the course of one's life4 ,these protections have helped access to contraception become a driving force in improving the health and financial security of individuals and their families4 7#e7 ,access to contraception is critical to the health of every individual capable of becoming pregnant4 ,this ,act is intended to apply to all individuals with the capacity for pregnancy1 including cisgender women1 transgender men1 non-binary individuals1 those who identify with a different gender1 and others4 7#f7 ,studies have shown that when cost barriers to the full range of methods of contraception are eliminated1 patients are more likely to use the contraceptive method that meets their needs1 and therefore use contraception correctly and more consistently1 reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy4 7#g7 ,under the ,,tricare program1 members of the ,armed ,forces on active duty have full coverage of all prescription drugs1 including contraception1 without cost-sharing requirements1 in line with the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh71 which requires coverage of all contraceptive methods approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration for women and related services and education and counseling4 ,however1 members not on active duty and dependents of members do not have similar coverage of all methods of contraception approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration without cost-sharing when they obtain the contraceptive outside of a military medical treatment facility4 7#h7 ,in order to fill gaps in coverage and access to preventive care critical for women's health1 the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7,public ,law #aaa-adh7 requires all non-grandfathered individual and group health plans to cover without cost-sharing preventive services1 including a set of evidence-based preventive services for women supported by the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services4 ,these women's preventive services include the full range of female-controlled contraceptive methods1 effective family planning practices1 and sterilization procedures1 approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration4 ,the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration has affirmed that contraceptive care includes contraceptive counseling1 initiation of contraceptive use1 and follow-up care 7such as management1 evaluation1 and changes to and removal or discontinuation of the contraceptive method74 7#i7 ,the ,defense ,advisory ,committee on ,women in the ,services has recommended that all the ,armed ,forces1 to the extent that they have not already1 implement initiatives that inform members of the ,armed ,forces of the importance of family planning1 educate them on methods of contraception1 and make various methods of contraception available1 based on the finding that family planning can increase the overall readiness and quality of life of all members of the ,armed ,forces4 7#aj7 ,the military departments received more than #g1hjj reports of sexual assaults involving members of the ,armed ,forces as victims or subjects during fiscal year #bjai4 ,through regulations1 the ,department of ,defense already supports a policy of ensuring that members of the ,armed ,forces who are sexually assaulted have access to emergency contraception1 and the initiation of contraception if desired and medically appropriate4 #c4 ,contraception coverage parity under the ,,tricare program 7a7 ,pharmacy benefits program ,section #ajgd;g7a77#f7 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,d7 ,notwithstanding subparagraphs 7,a71 7,b71 and 7,c71 cost-sharing requirements may not be imposed and cost-sharing amounts may not be collected with respect to any eligible covered beneficiary for any prescription contraceptive on the uniform formulary provided through a retail pharmacy described in paragraph 7#b77;,e77ii7 or through the national mail-order pharmacy program4 4 7b7 ,,tricare ,select ,section #ajge of such title is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7c71 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#d7 7,a7 ,notwithstanding any other provision of this section1 cost-sharing requirements may not be imposed and cost-sharing amounts may not be collected with respect to any beneficiary under this section for a service described in subparagraph 7,b7 that is provided by a network provider4 7,b7 ,a service described in this subparagraph is any method of contraception approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration1 any contraceptive care 7including with respect to insertion1 removal1 and follow up71 any sterilization procedure1 or any patient education or counseling service provided in connection with any such method1 care1 or procedure4 2 and 7#b7 in subsection 7f71 by striking calculated as and inserting calculated 7except as provided in subsection 7c77#d77 as4 7c7 ,,tricare ,prime ,section #ajge;a of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7d7 ,prohibition on cost-,sharing for certain services 7#a7 ,notwithstanding subsections 7a71 7b71 and 7c71 cost-sharing requirements may not be imposed and cost-sharing amounts may not be collected with respect to any beneficiary enrolled in ,,tricare ,prime for a service described in paragraph 7#b7 that is provided under ,,tricare ,prime4 7#b7 ,a service described in this paragraph is any method of contraception approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration1 any contraceptive care 7including with respect to insertion1 removal1 and follow up71 any sterilization procedure1 or any patient education or counseling service provided in connection with any such method1 care1 or procedure4 4 #d4 ,pregnancy prevention assistance at military medical treatment facilities for sexual assault survivors 7a7 ,in general ,chapter #ee of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by inserting after section #ajgdo the following new section3 #ajgdp4 ,provision of pregnancy prevention assistance at military medical treatment facilities 7a7 ,information and assistance ,the ,secretary of ,defense shall promptly furnish to sexual assault survivors at each military medical treatment facility the following3 7#a7 ,comprehensive1 medically and factually accurate1 and unbiased written and oral information about all methods of emergency contraception approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration4 7#b7 ,upon request by the sexual assault survivor1 emergency contraception or1 if applicable1 a prescription for emergency contraception4 7#c7 ,notification of the right of the sexual assault survivor to confidentiality with respect to the information and care and services furnished under this section4 7b7 ,information ,the ,secretary shall ensure that information provided pursuant to subsection 7a7 is provided in language that-- 7#a7 is clear and concise2 7#b7 is readily comprehensible2 and 7#c7 meets such conditions 7including conditions regarding the provision of information in languages other than ,english7 as the ,secretary may prescribe in regulations to carry out this section4 7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term sexual assault survivor means any individual who presents at a military medical treatment facility and-- 7,a7 states to personnel of the facility that the individual experienced a sexual assault2 7,b7 is accompanied by another person who states that the individual experienced a sexual assault2 or 7,c7 whom the personnel of the facility reasonably believes to be a survivor of sexual assault4 7#b7 ,the term sexual assault means the conduct described in section #aefe;b7c7 of this title that may result in pregnancy4 4 7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section #ajgdo the following new item3 #ajgdp4 ,provision of pregnancy prevention assistance at military medical treatment facilities4 4 #e4 ,education on family planning for members of the ,armed ,forces 7a7 ,education programs 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense shall establish a uniform standard curriculum to be used in education programs on family planning for all members of the ,armed ,forces1 including both men and women members4 7#b7 ,timing ,education programs under paragraph 7#a7 shall be provided to members of the ,armed ,forces as follows3 7,a7 ,during the first year of service of the member4 7,b7 ,at such other times as each ,secretary of a military department determines appropriate with respect to members of the ,armed ,forces under the jurisdiction of such ,secretary4 7#c7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the education programs under paragraph 7#a7 should be evidence-informed and use the latest technology available to efficiently and effectively deliver information to members of the ,armed ,forces4 7b7 ,elements ,the uniform standard curriculum for education programs under subsection 7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,information for members of the ,armed ,forces on active duty to make informed decisions regarding family planning4 7#b7 ,information about the prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections1 including human immunodeficiency virus 7commonly known as ,,hiv74 7#c7 ,information on-- 7,a7 the importance of providing comprehensive family planning for members of the ,armed ,forces1 including commanding officers2 and 7,b7 the positive impact family planning can have on the health and readiness of the ,armed ,forces4 7#d7 ,current1 medically accurate information4 7#e7 ,clear1 user-friendly information on-- 7,a7 the full range of methods of contraception approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration2 and 7,b7 where members of the ,armed ,forces can access their chosen method of contraception4 7#f7 ,information on all applicable laws and policies so that members of the ,armed ,forces are informed of their rights and obligations4 7#g7 ,information on the rights of patients to confidentiality4 7#h7 ,information on the unique circumstances encountered by members of the ,armed ,forces and the effects of such circumstances on the use of contraception4