Repeal of 12 year Bipartisan Contraception Coverage Law (HB1546)

• Republicans have tacked an amendment onto an unrelated bill, HB1546, that will repeal a bipartisan law passed in 1999 under a Republican House.  The Roll Call in 1999 was 243-85. At the time, nearly every member of the GOP House Leadership voted for the bill. 6 Republicans in O’Brien’s Leadership were members and voted for the bill 12 years ago.
• This legislation would allow a woman’s employer to deny her access to contraceptives.
• This is not about Religious freedom. It is nothing less than an attack on basic health care – not just a woman’s health care – but her family’s as well. It suggests that politicians can make better health decisions for individuals and families than they can themselves in consultation with their doctors.
• Ensuring fair coverage for contraception in any plan that covers prescription drugs was the right policy in 1999; it is the right policy today. It was not a partisan issue then. It should not be a partisan issue today.
• Despite the bill’s effectiveness for the last 12 years, Republicans in Concord now say they will work to repeal it, thereby limiting access to contraception for thousands of women across our state.