Sponsors (26)
The bill improves timely access to contraception and strengthens privacy and enforcement for patients—especially marginalized groups—but it increases compliance costs, fines, and legal exposure for pharmacies and may trigger conscience-based litigation and downstream cost pressures.
Women and people who can become pregnant gain faster, more reliable access to contraception because pharmacies must keep contraceptives in-stock (and OTC approvals expand over‑the‑counter availability) and must offer prompt referral or expedited ordering when items are unavailable.
Patients' reproductive autonomy and privacy are better protected because pharmacies must prevent employee intimidation, deception, and confidentiality breaches, supporting uninterrupted access to contraception.
Large numbers of insured women already saved on birth control under ACA coverage, meaning continued or reinforced coverage reduces out-of-pocket costs for millions and lowers financial barriers to contraception.
Pharmacies face fines, penalties, and private lawsuits for noncompliance, which raises operating costs that could be passed on to consumers and strain pharmacy finances.
Pharmacies that do not routinely stock contraception must change inventory or set up referral procedures within a short timeframe (31 days), imposing logistical, administrative, and compliance costs—harder for small or rural pharmacies.
Framing contraception access as a protected right may prompt legal conflicts with conscience-based refusal claims by some providers or pharmacies, producing litigation and state-level disputes.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Pharmacies that ordinarily stock contraceptives must dispense in-stock items immediately or promptly transfer/expedite orders and must not block access through intimidation, deception, confidentiality breaches, or refusal to return prescriptions.
Official title: Amend the Public Health Service Act to establish certain duties for pharmacies to ensure provision of Food and Drug Administration-approved contraception and medication related to contraception, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 16, 2025 by Cory Anthony Booker · Last progress July 16, 2025
Requires pharmacies that ordinarily stock contraceptives or contraception-related drugs sold in interstate commerce to ensure customers can obtain them without delay. If an item is in stock the pharmacy must dispense it immediately; if not, the pharmacy must promptly locate another stocked pharmacy chosen by the customer or order the item using expedited procedures and notify the customer. Sets conduct rules for pharmacies and employees: bans intimidation, deception about availability, confidentiality breaches, and refusing to return valid prescriptions; allows narrow exceptions for legality, inability to pay, or professional clinical judgment; preserves stronger state protections and existing nondiscrimination rights.