2005-2006 Regular Session H.R. 6145

Summary:  This bill aims to reduce the number of abortions by establishing health care- and child care-related programs to support pregnant women.  The health care services do not include an expansion of contraceptive services.  This bill was modeled after Democrats for Life ‘s "95-10 Initiative," which aims to reduce the U.S. abortion rate by 95% over the next 10 years.  HR 6145 is similar to HR 6067, the Reducing the Need for Abortions and Supporting Parents Act though HR 6067 does, among other things, seek to improve access to contraceptive services.  The legislation would expand government health program coverage for low-income women to include pregnant women and unborn children; remove pregnancy from all "re-existing condition" lists; make adoption tax credits permanent; provide grants for low-income parenting college student; provide free home visits by registered nurses for new mothers and more.

What You Should Know:  Seeking to reduce the number of abortions in the United States, this legislation includes 14 programs to increase support for those who carry an unintended pregnancy to term. This is a laudable goal, though there is nothing in the legislation to achieve another laudable - and perhaps more urgent - goal:  reducing the number of unintended pregnancies.  In 2001, half of the pregnancies in the United States were unintended - with 5% of women aged 15-44 having an unintended pregnancy. Between 1994 and 2001, the proportion of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion among all women declined, while the unintended birth rate increased.  Yet publicly-funded contraceptive services are chronically under funded - and this legislation does nothing to address that primary problem.

This bill also beefs up programs to help those who choose to carry an unintended pregnancy to term, another area related to women's health and support that has gone unattended for years.

Primary Sponsor(s): Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN)

Introduction Date: 9/21/2006

Last Major Action: 10/3/2006 Referred to the House Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.