To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a grant program to increase capacity for providing abortion services and other sexual and reproductive health care, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · March 20, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The ACCESS Act of 2024 would establish a federal grant program to help healthcare facilities in states where abortion is legal expand their capacity to provide abortion and reproductive health services. The bill authorizes $200 million per year from 2024 through 2028 for grants to hospitals, clinics, nonprofits, and other eligible entities to fund facility expansions, equipment purchases, hiring and training staff, telehealth services, and patient support services like interpretation and counseling. The legislation prioritizes funding for states that have experienced the largest increases in out-of-state patients traveling for abortion care since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. According to the bill's findings, the number of patients crossing state lines for abortion services has doubled in recent years, creating significant backlogs and wait times in states where abortion remains legal. The bill aims to address disparities in abortion access that disproportionately affect low-income individuals, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those in rural communities.
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