Bill > S422

This bill establishes a comprehensive federal right to access contraception and protection for healthcare providers offering contraceptive services. The bill defines contraception broadly as any action or medical product intended to prevent pregnancy, including various methods like contraceptive drugs, devices, and sterilization procedures. It declares the right to contraception as fundamental to individual privacy, health, and equality, citing historical Supreme Court precedents that have recognized this right. The bill aims to protect individuals' ability to obtain contraceptives and healthcare providers' ability to offer contraceptive services, regardless of an individual's race, ethnicity, gender, income, disability, national origin, or geographic location. It prohibits federal and state governments from implementing laws that restrict contraceptive access, and provides both the Attorney General and private individuals the right to sue to enforce these protections. The bill also includes provisions that allow individuals and healthcare providers to challenge restrictions on contraceptive access in court, with the potential for injunctive relief and attorney's fees. Importantly, the bill applies across all jurisdictions and supersedes existing state laws that might conflict with its provisions, and it includes a severability clause ensuring that if any part of the act is found unconstitutional, the rest of the act remains in effect.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/422/all-info