MONTGOMERY – Citing “questions of reproductive healthcare,” Alabama House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels heralded the passage of his Right to Contraception Act.
The legislation, HB279, received a unanimous voice vote from the House Judiciary Committee and will advance to the House floor for consideration, according to a news release from the Alabama House Democratic Caucus.
“In this uncertain time regarding questions of reproductive healthcare citizens and employers have expressed confusion about the law and future legislation that may impact reproductive rights,” said Daniels (D-Huntsville). “To be clear, this bill would do one simple thing: It guarantees the right to contraception. It does not address abortion or IVF treatments.
“According to recent polls, well over two-thirds of Alabamians, on both sides of the aisle, support the right to contraception.”
Under Alabama law, there is no explicit recognition of the right to distribute and use contraceptives, the release said. The bill would recognize that individuals have the right to engage in contraception and that health care providers have the right to both dispense contraceptive devices and provide information about their use.
The bill does not relate to any abortion-inducing drug or pregnancy healthcare and only relates to contraception.
The release said the primary method of enforcement for the bill is to provide a legal course of action in which a person may bring a civil suit for injunctive relief if denied contraception. “Injunctive relief” means a court orders the relevant governmental body to change its course of action.
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