,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ebbg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #h1 #bjbb,ms4 ,baldwin 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,brown1 and ,mrs4 ,feinstein7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to authorize grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses and logistical support for individuals with respect to accessing abortion services1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,reproductive ,health ,travel ,fund ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds as follows3 7#a7 ,on ,june #bd1 #bjbb1 in its decision in ,dobbs v4 ,jackson ,women's ,health ,organization1 the ,supreme ,court overruled ,roe v4 ,wade1 reversing decades of precedent recognizing the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy4 7#b7 ,the abortion access landscape was already strained4 ,this decision has decimated access for millions of people in the ,united ,states4 ,more than half of ,states are predicted to ban or severely restrict abortion in the months and years following the decision4 7#c7 ,the implications of this decision will fall hardest on people who already face barriers to health care access1 particularly ,black people1 ,indigenous people1 and other people of color1 people with disabilities1 people in rural areas1 young people1 people with documentation barriers1 and those having difficulty making ends meet4 7#d7 ,people have always had abortions and always will1 even in the face of legal1 financial1 and logistical barriers1 or criminalization4 ,while some will self-manage their abortions1 and have the option of using pills that are medically safe and effective1 many others are traveling hundreds of miles out of ,state1 or forced to carry pregnancies to term4 7#e7 ,abortion funds and practical support funds 7referred to in this section as funds7 are community-based organizations that support people in overcoming financial and logistical barriers to abortion care4 7#f7 ,funds work together to remove financial and logistical barriers to abortion access and have been doing this work for decades4 ,some of these barriers are transportation1 food1 lodging1 childcare1 translation1 doula services1 among other barriers4 7#g7 ,many funds are led by people who have had abortions themselves1 including a growing base of ,black and ,brown leaders who have themselves faced abortion obstacles and understand the complex circumstances individuals may face4 7#h7 ,abortion funds have a history of being underresourced and rely mostly on volunteer time and energy to support communities4 7#i7 ,abortion and practical support funds hold some of the closest ties to people who are having abortions and have the first-hand experience1 up-to-date and on-the-ground knowledge1 and the regional and national connections needed to support abortion seekers financially1 emotionally1 or logistically4 7#aj7 ,clinics in ,states where abortion is legal and more accessible are receiving an influx of people seeking abortions4 ,provider shortages plus this rapid increase in patients will cause longer waits for appointments4 7#aa7 ,when people are not able to access an abortion when they need it1 they are often pushed much further into pregnancy4 ,this increases costs exponentially4 ,for many1 the increased financial burden will push abortion care completely out of reach4 7#ab7 ,a rapidly changing access landscape1 as bans are implemented and challenged1 means that the window to access care in certain ,states may be limited4 ,people who are put in a position where they must postpone their care due to financial or other constraints may face appointment cancellations due to overnight changes in legality4 7#ac7 ,funds often work with each other if they cannot fully assist a caller1 or if a caller is traveling across regions4 ,a national network of almost #ajj abortion and practical support funds has demonstrated these funds are uniquely positioned to lead in this moment and need support4 #c4 ,grants to pay for travel expenses and logistical support for individuals accessing abortion services 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury 7referred to in this section as the ,secretary7 may award grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses and logistical support for individuals with respect to accessing abortion services4 7b7 ,timing ,beginning not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall solicit applications for grants under this section4 7c7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,permissible uses ,an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant for travel-related expenses and logistical support for individuals with respect to accessing abortion services1 which may include any of the following expenses and support3 7,a7 ,round trip travel to the location where the abortion services are provided4 7,b7 ,lodging4 7,c7 ,meals4 7,d7 ,childcare4 7,e7 ,translation services4 7,f7 ,doula care4 7,g7 ,patient education and information services4 7#b7 ,organizational costs ,an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section may use up to1 but not more than1 #ae percent of the grant funds to cover organizational costs such as-- 7,a7 community outreach efforts2 7,b7 physical infrastructure construction and maintenance2 7,c7 website development and maintenance2 and 7,d7 increasing staff capacity and training4 7#c7 ,impermissible uses ,an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall not use the grant for costs of an abortion procedure4 7d7 ,applications ,to seek a grant under this section1 an eligible entity shall submit to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary determines appropriate4 7e7 ,priority ,in selecting the recipients of grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that-- 7#a7 serve individuals who live in a jurisdiction that has banned or severely restricted access to abortion2 7#b7 serve individuals who travel to a jurisdiction other than the one where they live to be provided abortion services2 or 7#c7 have a program in operation1 or submit as part of the application required under subsection 7d7 a plan to establish and operate a program1 to help individuals access abortion services4 7f7 ,annual reports to ,congress 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report on the program under this section4 7#b7 ,confidentiality ,the reports under paragraph 7#a7 shall not include any individually identifiable information4 7g7 ,preemption ,the provisions of this section shall supercede any provision of ,state1 ,tribal1 territorial1 or local law that would have the effect of prohibiting any use of funds provided for under this section4 7h7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term eligible entity-- 7,a7 means a nonprofit organization1 or a community-based organization1 that assists individuals seeking an abortion through programs1 services1 or activities that are unbiased and medically and factually accurate2 and 7,b7 excludes any entity that discourages individuals from seeking an abortion4 7#b7 ,the term nonprofit organization means an organization that-- 7,a7 is described in subsection 7c77#c7 of section #eja of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf2 and 7,b7 is1 under subsection 7a7 of such section1 exempt from taxation4 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations ,to carry out this section1 there is authorized to be appropriated #cej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbc through #bjbg4