What is HR 605
- Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary to make grants for the purchase of ultrasound equipment for examinations of pregnant women
- Provides for continuation coverage for newborns
- Requires health facilities that perform abortions to obtain informed consent from a pregnant woman seeking an abortion
- Directs the Secretary to provide for:
1. higher education pregnant and parenting student services offices
2. programs to work with pregnant or parenting teens to complete high school
- Authorizes appropriations to carry out the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC program)
- Authorizes grants to provide to eligible mothers education on the health needs of their infants through visits to their homes by registered nurses
- Authorizes grants for services to pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. Requires states to require a pregnancy determination for homicide victims
Sponsors
Representatives: King, Peter (NY-3), Lamborn, Doug (CO-5), Langevin, James R (RI-2), Murtha, John P (PA-12), Oberstar, James L. (MN-8), Sounder, Mark E (IN-3)
Issues: Why A Need for Change?
(the following is based on Congressional findings which were presented when the Bill was introduced and can be found at http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-605)
1. In 2004, 839,226 abortions were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2. 48 percent of all pregnancies in America are unintended. Excluding miscarriages, 54 percent of unintended pregnancies end in abortion.
3. 57 percent of women who have abortions have incomes below 200 percent of the poverty level.
4. ‘Cannot afford a baby’ is the second most frequently cited reason women choose to have an abortion; 73 percent of women having abortions cited this reason as a contributing factor.
5. This Act is an initiative to gather more complete information about abortion, to reduce the abortion rate by helping women carry their pregnancies to term and bear healthy children, and by affirming the right of women to be fully informed about their other options when they seek an abortion.
6. The initiative will work to support women facing unplanned pregnancies, new parents and their children by providing comprehensive measures for health care needs, supportive services and helpful prenatal information and postnatal services.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading the "need for change" section of this post. The statistics used (54% of unplanned pregnancies end in abortion) are astounding. I also found it interesting that "not being able to afford a baby" is the second most common reason women site for having an abortion. How exactly does this act plan to provide for continuing coverage for newborns? Is this regarding health care coverage (doctor's visits, appointments, and immunizations) or does the bill plan to provide continuing insurance coverage for these children?
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