S. 3223 · 117th Congress
Access to Birth Control Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
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BookerSponsor21 cosponsors · 21 D
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Brown
TB
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Baldwin
RB
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Blumenthal
KG
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Gillibrand
MH
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Hirono
MH
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Heinrich
AK
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Klobuchar
TK
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Kaine
EM
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Markey
BM
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Menendez
PM
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Murray
CM
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Murphy
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Merkley
AP
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Padilla
JR
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Rosen
JS
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Shaheen
TS
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Smith
CV
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Van Hollen
RW
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Wyden
SW
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Whitehouse
EW
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Warren21 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill requires pharmacies to comply with certain rules related to ensuring access to contraceptives.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Nov 17, 2021
Access to Birth Control Act
This bill requires pharmacies to comply with certain rules related to ensuring access to contraceptives.
Specifically, pharmacies must provide without delay a customer with any contraceptive or related medication that is in stock. If the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must immediately inform the customer and either order the contraceptive or refer the customer to a pharmacy that has it in stock. Laws in some states provide pharmacists with the right to refuse to dispense contraceptive-related drugs on religious or conscience grounds.
Pharmacies may refuse to provide a contraceptive to a customer (1) if the customer lacks a valid prescription for a prescription contraceptive or is unable to pay for the contraceptive, or (2) based on a pharmacy employee's professional clinical judgment.
The bill also establishes a private cause of action and civil monetary penalties for violations of the bill.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Access to Birth Control Act
Latest action (Nov 17, 2021): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Nov 17, 2021
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.