Sponsors (42)
The bill firmly protects and enforces nationwide access to contraception—strengthening reproductive autonomy and provider protections—while trading off substantial reductions in state regulatory flexibility, heightened litigation risk and costs, and increased conflicts with conscience‑based or religious objections.
People seeking contraception (women, young adults, low-income people, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities) gain a federally protected right to obtain and use contraceptives without government-imposed bans or restrictions, strengthening reproductive autonomy across states.
Health care providers, clinics, and pharmacists can counsel, prescribe, dispense, refer for, and facilitate contraception with clearer legal protections and defenses, reducing fear of liability and preserving service delivery.
Low-income patients and historically marginalized groups (Medicaid and Title X beneficiaries, racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, immigrants) receive federal recognition and targeted attention that could strengthen coverage, funding, and reduce disparities in contraceptive access.
State, local, and tribal governments lose regulatory flexibility and face increased exposure to federal lawsuits and injunctions, raising litigation costs and uncertainty for public authorities and their health policies.
Religious organizations, employers, and conscience‑based health providers risk losing legal defenses (including some RFRA-based claims) and may face conflicts or legal exposure for declining to provide or facilitate contraceptives.
The law is likely to spur increased private and government litigation (including numerous suits and defensive litigation against providers), creating legal risks, defensive costs for hospitals/providers, and burdens on courts.
Based on analysis of 9 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a federal right to contraception and preempts government rules that prohibit or restrict access, with federal and private enforcement.
Official title: Protect an individual's ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception and to protect a health care provider's ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception.
Introduced February 5, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress February 5, 2025
Creates a federal statutory right to obtain, use, and be provided contraception and contraception-related information, and bars government limits that single out or impede contraceptive access. The law preempts and invalidates contrary state or federal rules and lets the U.S. government and private parties sue to stop enforcement of restrictions, with courts required to construe the law broadly to protect access; it takes effect immediately on enactment.