Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1670 To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the use of funds for comprehensive reproductive health care services, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 9, 2021 Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. BASS, Mr. BERA, Mr. BEYER, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. BROWN, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. BUSH, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. CARSON, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. CASE, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. CHU, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. CLARK of Massachu- setts, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. CRIST, Mr. CROW, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. DEAN, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mrs. FLETCHER, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. HIMES, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. JACOBS of Cali- fornia, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JONES, Mr. KAHELE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. KEATING, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KILMER, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. LEVIN of California, Mr. LIEU, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Ms. MANNING, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. MENG, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. NEWMAN, Ms. NORTON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. OMAR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Ms. PORTER, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RASKIN, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. ROSS, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. SIRES, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. SOTO, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. TITUS, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. TRONE, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 Apr 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H1670.IH H1670 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1670 IH WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. WELCH, Ms. WEXTON, Ms. WILD, Ms. WIL- LIAMS of Georgia, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mrs. TORRES of California, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. DEGETTE, and Ms. STRICKLAND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the use of funds for comprehensive reproductive health care services, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abortion is Health 4 Care Everywhere Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress makes the following findings: 7 (1) Abortion is a critical component of sexual 8 and reproductive health care and should be acces- 9 sible and affordable for all people. 10 (2) All people have the right to make their own 11 choices about their sexual and reproductive health, 12 and to access quality and affordable sexual and re- 13 productive health care. International agreements 14 have recognized reproductive rights for over 25 15 years, and the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals 16 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 Apr 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1670.IH H1670 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1670 IH reiterated the centrality of reproductive rights to 1 gender equality. 2 (3) Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that 3 when people, including young women and adolescent 4 girls, gender non-conforming individuals, and 5 transgender men, are able to control their reproduc- 6 tive lives, there are enormous social and economic 7 benefits—not just for the individual and their fam- 8 ily, but for entire communities. Countries that 9 prioritize reproductive health, rights, and justice and 10 human rights are more likely to have better overall 11 health throughout. 12 (4) Health system cost is reduced when abor- 13 tion is widely available and integrated with other 14 types of health care. 15 (5) Without access to safe abortion care, people 16 risk their lives to end their pregnancies. At least 17 24,100 people in low- and middle-income countries 18 die every year from complications from unsafe abor- 19 tion. 20 (6) Ninety-seven percent of unsafe abortions 21 occur in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and 22 Latin America. In low- and middle-income countries, 23 the annual cost of post-abortion care for all who 24 need it would be $4 billion. The majority of this cost 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 Apr 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1670.IH H1670 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1670 IH is attributed to treating complications from abor- 1 tions provided in unsafe conditions. 2 (7) Restricting abortion does not reduce either 3 the need for or number of abortions. Abortion rates 4 are similar in countries where it is highly restricted 5 by law and where it is broadly legal. 6 (8) When abortions are performed in accord- 7 ance with World Health Organization (WHO) guide- 8 lines and standards, there is minimal risk of severe 9 complications or death. 10 (9) As part of their commitment to prevent un- 11 safe abortions and preventable deaths and ensure all 12 people have access to comprehensive sexual and re- 13 productive health care and can exercise their right to 14 full control over their sexuality and reproduction, de- 15 veloping countries and donor governments must 16 work collaboratively to deploy funding, align policies, 17 and mobilize expertise to make safe abortion services 18 available to those seeking to terminate pregnancies. 19 (10) United States law restricting United 20 States foreign assistance funding from being used to 21 provide safe abortion services has the effect of harm- 22 ing people who seek to terminate their pregnancies 23 in several ways, including by blocking access to serv- 24 ices and erecting barriers to providers obtaining the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 Apr 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1670.IH H1670 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1670 IH training and equipment needed to deliver care to 1 those in need. 2 (11) Since section 104(f)(1) of the Foreign As- 3 sistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(f)(1)) (com- 4 monly referred to as the ‘‘Helms amendment’’) was 5 enacted in 1973, dozens of governments across the 6 globe have liberalized abortion laws and policies. 7 (12) In countries where the United States sup- 8 ports family planning and reproductive health care 9 and in which abortion is legal on at least some 10 grounds, support for safe abortion could avert over 11 19 million unsafe abortions and 17,000 maternal 12 deaths each year. 13 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 14 The following shall be the policy of the United States 15 Government: 16 (1) Safe abortion is a critical component of 17 comprehensive maternal and reproductive health 18 care and should be included as part of foreign assist- 19 ance programs funded by the United States Govern- 20 ment. 21 (2) Safe abortion is to be made widely available 22 and integrated with other types of health care. 23 (3) The United States Government should work 24 to end unsafe abortion and promote safe abortion 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 Apr 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1670.IH H1670 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1670 IH services by providing funding and collaborating with 1 affected governments and service providers to pro- 2 vide training, commodities and equipment, and ac- 3 cess to safe abortion services. 4 SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUC- 5 TIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES. 6 Section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 7 (22 U.S.C. 2151b) is amended— 8 (1) in subsection (f)— 9 (A) by striking paragraph (1); and 10 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and 11 (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; 12 (2) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub- 13 section (h); and 14 (3) by inserting after subsection (f), as amend- 15 ed, the following: 16 ‘‘(g) USE OF FUNDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPRO- 17 DUCTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES.—Notwithstanding 18 any other provision of law, funds made available to carry 19 out this part may be used to provide comprehensive repro- 20 ductive health care services, including abortion services, 21 training, and equipment.’’. 22 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:51 Apr 30, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1670.IH H1670 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS