Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who opposes abortion rights, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who supports abortion rights, and other House Democrats last Thursday at a press conference announced the introduction of legislation (HR 6067) that aims to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, Copley/Canton Repository reports (Krawzak, Copley/Canton Repository, 9/15).
The bill, called the Reducing the Need for Abortions and Supporting Parents Act, would require states to cover contraceptives for women with incomes of up to 200% of the federal poverty level and would require physicians who perform abortions on minors to notify parents of risks associated with the procedure, the Chicago Tribune reports. The bill also would establish grants for sex education programs and would require programs with a focus on abstinence to include thorough instruction on contraceptives (Dorning, Chicago Tribune, 9/14). The bill, which includes 20 initiatives, also would increase funding for health care for low-income women with children, provide no-cost visits from nurses to teens and women who have given birth for the first time, expand a tax credit for adoption and fund child care services for parents in college, the Youngstown Vindicator reports.
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