[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9866 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9866

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study 
 and submit to Congress a report on contraceptive access at community 
                 health centers in health care deserts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2024

 Mrs. Hinson introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study 
 and submit to Congress a report on contraceptive access at community 
                 health centers in health care deserts.

    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 ``Access to LARCs Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY AND REPORT ON ACCESS TO RANGE OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS AT 
              COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS.

    (a) Study.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this 
section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall conduct a study on the 
access of women in need to a range of contraceptive methods at 
community health centers located in health care deserts. Such study 
shall--
            (1) include analysis related to reimbursement, inventory 
        stocking, provider training, patient education, and other 
        barriers to community health centers providing a range of 
        contraceptive methods; and
            (2) indicate which community health centers are recipients 
        of funding under title X of the Public Health Service Act (42 
        U.S.C. 300 et seq.).
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing 
the results of the study under subsection (a).
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Community health center.--The term ``community health 
        center'' means a health center (as defined in section 330(a) of 
        the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(a))).
            (2) Contraceptive method.--The term ``contraceptive 
        method'' means--
                    (A) a drug or device (as such terms are defined in 
                section 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act 
                (21 U.S.C. 321)), or combination product, approved for 
                use under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 
                U.S.C. 321 et seq.) as a method of contraception, 
                except when such drug, device, or combination product 
                is used on- or off-label as an emergency contraceptive;
                    (B) sexual risk avoidance education; and
                    (C) natural family planning or other fertility-
                based methods of family planning.
            (3) Health care desert.--The term ``health care desert'' 
        means a State or political subdivision thereof with less than 1 
        community health center for every 1,000 women in need.
            (4) Range of contraceptive methods.--The term ``range of 
        contraceptive methods'' means 2 or more contraceptive methods.
            (5) Women in need.--The term ``women in need'' means women 
        eligible for benefits under a Federal health care program (as 
        defined in section 1128B(f) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1320a-7b(f))).
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