Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7816 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 JULY 29, 2020 Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. DEGETTE, and Mrs. TORRES of California) 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 2020’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress makes the following findings: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7816.IH H7816 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 7816 IH (1) Abortion is a critical component of sexual 1 and reproductive health care and should be acces- 2 sible and affordable for all people. 3 (2) All people have the right to make their own 4 choices about their sexual and reproductive health, 5 and to access quality and affordable sexual and re- 6 productive health care. International agreements 7 have recognized reproductive rights for over 25 8 years, and the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals 9 reiterated the centrality of reproductive rights to 10 gender equality. 11 (3) Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that 12 when people, including young women and adolescent 13 girls, gender non-conforming individuals, and 14 transgender men, are able to control their reproduc- 15 tive lives, there are enormous social and economic 16 benefits—not just for the individual and their fam- 17 ily, but for entire communities. Countries that 18 prioritize reproductive health, rights, and justice and 19 human rights are more likely to have better overall 20 health throughout. 21 (4) Health system cost is reduced when abor- 22 tion is widely available and integrated with other 23 types of health care. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7816.IH H7816 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 7816 IH (5) Without access to safe abortion care, people 1 risk their lives to end their pregnancies. At least 2 24,100 people in low- and middle-income countries 3 die every year from complications from unsafe abor- 4 tion. 5 (6) Ninety-seven percent of unsafe abortions 6 occur in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and 7 Latin America. In low- and middle-income countries, 8 the annual cost of post-abortion care for all who 9 need it would be $4 billion. The majority of this cost 10 is attributed to treating complications from abor- 11 tions provided in unsafe conditions. 12 (7) Restricting abortion does not reduce either 13 the need for or number of abortions. Abortion rates 14 are similar in countries where it is highly restricted 15 by law and where it is broadly legal. 16 (8) When abortions are performed in accord- 17 ance with World Health Organization (WHO) guide- 18 lines and standards, there is minimal risk of severe 19 complications or death. 20 (9) As part of their commitment to prevent un- 21 safe abortions and preventable deaths and ensure all 22 people have access to comprehensive sexual and re- 23 productive health care and can exercise their right to 24 full control over their sexuality and reproduction, de- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7816.IH H7816 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 7816 IH veloping countries and donor governments must 1 work collaboratively to deploy funding, align policies, 2 and mobilize expertise to make safe abortion services 3 available to those seeking to terminate pregnancies. 4 (10) United States law restricting United 5 States foreign assistance funding from being used to 6 provide safe abortion services has the effect of harm- 7 ing people who seek to terminate their pregnancies 8 in several ways, including by blocking access to serv- 9 ices and erecting barriers to providers obtaining the 10 training and equipment needed to deliver care to 11 those in need. 12 (11) Since section 104(f)(1) of the Foreign As- 13 sistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(f)(1)) (com- 14 monly referred to as the ‘‘Helms amendment’’) was 15 enacted in 1973, dozens of governments across the 16 globe have liberalized abortion laws and policies. 17 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 18 The following shall be the policy of the United States 19 Government: 20 (1) Safe abortion is a critical component of 21 comprehensive maternal and reproductive health 22 care and should be included as part of foreign assist- 23 ance programs funded by the United States Govern- 24 ment. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7816.IH H7816 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 7816 IH (2) Safe abortion is to be made widely available 1 and integrated with other types of health care. 2 (3) The United States Government should work 3 to end unsafe abortion and promote safe abortion 4 services by providing funding and collaborating with 5 affected governments and service providers to pro- 6 vide training, commodities and equipment, and ac- 7 cess to safe abortion services. 8 SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUC- 9 TIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES. 10 Section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 11 (22 U.S.C. 2151b) is amended— 12 (1) in subsection (f)— 13 (A) by striking paragraph (1); and 14 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and 15 (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; 16 (2) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub- 17 section (h); and 18 (3) by inserting after subsection (f), as amend- 19 ed, the following: 20 ‘‘(g) USE OF FUNDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPRO- 21 DUCTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES.—Notwithstanding 22 any other provision of law, funds made available to carry 23 out this part may be used to provide comprehensive repro- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7816.IH H7816 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 7816 IH ductive health care services, including abortion services, 1 training, and equipment.’’. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:39 Aug 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H7816.IH H7816 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS