[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4641 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4641
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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 27, 2022
Mr. Booker (for himself, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Smith, Ms. Hirono, Mr.
Blumenthal, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Brown, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Heinrich, Mr.
Markey, Ms. Warren, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Murphy, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs.
Feinstein, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Padilla, Mr.
Sanders, and Mr. Leahy) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
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 Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Abortion is Health Care Everywhere
Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) International agreements have recognized reproductive
rights for more than 25 years, and the 2015 United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals reiterated the centrality of
reproductive rights to gender equality.
(2) Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that when people,
including young women and adolescent girls, gender
nonconforming individuals, and transgender men, are able to
control their reproductive lives, there are enormous social and
economic benefits, not just for the individual and their
family, but for entire communities.
(3) Countries that prioritize reproductive health, rights,
and justice and human rights are more likely to have better
overall health throughout their countries.
(4) Health system cost is reduced when abortion is widely
available and integrated with other types of health care.
(5) Without access to safe abortion care, people risk their
lives to end their pregnancies. At least 24,100 people in low-
and middle-income countries die every year from complications
from unsafe abortions.
(6) Ninety-seven percent of unsafe abortions occur in
developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In
low- and middle-income countries, the annual cost of post-
abortion care for all who need is estimated to be
$4,000,000,000. The majority of this cost is attributed to
treating complications from abortions provided in unsafe
conditions.
(7) Restricting abortion does not reduce either the need
for or number of abortions. Abortion rates are similar in
countries where it is highly restricted by law and where it is
broadly legal.
(8) When abortions are performed in accordance with World
Health Organization guidelines and standards, there is minimal
risk of severe complications or death.
(9) United States law restricting United States foreign
assistance funding from being used to provide safe abortion
services has the effect of harming people who seek to terminate
their pregnancies in several ways, including by blocking access
to services and erecting barriers to providers obtaining the
training and equipment needed to deliver care to those in need.
(10) Since the enactment of section 104(f)(1) of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b(f)(1))
(commonly referred to as the ``Helms amendment'') in 1973,
dozens of governments across the globe have liberalized
abortion laws and policies.
(11) In countries where the United States supports family
planning and reproductive health care and in which abortion is
legal on, at least some grounds, support for safe abortion
could avert more than 19,000,000 unsafe abortions and 17,000
maternal deaths each year.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) abortion is a critical component of sexual and
reproductive health care and should be accessible and
affordable for all people;
(2) all people have the right to make their own choices
about their sexual and reproductive health, and to access
quality and affordable sexual and reproductive health care; and
(3) as part of their commitment to prevent unsafe abortions
and preventable deaths and to ensure that all people have
access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care and
can exercise their right to full control over their sexuality
and reproduction, developing countries and donor governments
must work collaboratively to deploy funding, align policies,
and mobilize expertise to make safe abortion services available
to those seeking to terminate pregnancies.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States Government--
(1) to recognize safe abortion as a critical component of
comprehensive maternal and reproductive health care and include
safe abortion services as part of foreign assistance programs
funded by the United States Government;
(2) to make safe abortion widely available and integrated
with other types of health care; and
(3) to work to end unsafe abortion and to promote safe
abortion services by providing funding and collaborating with
affected governments and service providers to provide training,
commodities and equipment, and access to safe abortion
services.
SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
SERVICES.
Section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151b)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (f)--
(A) by striking paragraph (1); and
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as
paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively;
(2) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (f), as amended, the
following:
``(g) Use of Funds for Comprehensive Reproductive Health Care
Services.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds made
available to carry out this part may be used to provide comprehensive
reproductive health care services, including abortion services,
training, and equipment.''.
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