II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4641 

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the use of 

funds for comprehensive reproductive health care services, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 27, 2022 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. SMITH, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. BROWN, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. WARREN, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. CARDIN, 

Mr. PADILLA, Mr. SANDERS, and Mr. LEAHY) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize 

the use of funds for comprehensive reproductive health 

care services, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Abortion is Health 

5 Care Everywhere Act of 2022’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find3 ings: 

4 (1) International agreements have recognized 

5 reproductive rights for more than 25 years, and the 

6 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development 

7 Goals reiterated the centrality of reproductive rights 

8 to gender equality. 

9 (2) Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that 

10 when people, including young women and adolescent 

11 girls, gender nonconforming individuals, and 

12 transgender men, are able to control their reproduc13 tive lives, there are enormous social and economic 

14 benefits, not just for the individual and their family, 

15 but for entire communities. 

16 (3) Countries that prioritize reproductive 

17 health, rights, and justice and human rights are 

18 more likely to have better overall health throughout 

19 their countries. 

20 (4) Health system cost is reduced when abor21 tion is widely available and integrated with other 

22 types of health care. 

23 (5) Without access to safe abortion care, people 

24 risk their lives to end their pregnancies. At least 

25 24,100 people in low- and middle-income countries 


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1 die every year from complications from unsafe abor2 tions. 

3 (6) Ninety-seven percent of unsafe abortions 

4 occur in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and 

5 Latin America. In low- and middle-income countries, 

6 the annual cost of post-abortion care for all who 

7 need is estimated to be $4,000,000,000. The major8 ity of this cost is attributed to treating complications 

9 from abortions provided in unsafe conditions. 

10 (7) Restricting abortion does not reduce either 

11 the need for or number of abortions. Abortion rates 

12 are similar in countries where it is highly restricted 

13 by law and where it is broadly legal. 

14 (8) When abortions are performed in accord15 ance with World Health Organization guidelines and 

16 standards, there is minimal risk of severe complica17 tions or death. 

18 (9) United States law restricting United States 

19 foreign assistance funding from being used to pro20 vide safe abortion services has the effect of harming 

21 people who seek to terminate their pregnancies in 

22 several ways, including by blocking access to services 

23 and erecting barriers to providers obtaining the 

24 training and equipment needed to deliver care to 

25 those in need. 


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1 (10) Since the enactment of section 104(f)(1) of 

2 the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

3 2151b(f)(1)) (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Helms 

4 amendment’’) in 1973, dozens of governments across 

5 the globe have liberalized abortion laws and policies. 

6 (11) In countries where the United States sup7 ports family planning and reproductive health care 

8 and in which abortion is legal on, at least some 

9 grounds, support for safe abortion could avert more 

10 than 19,000,000 unsafe abortions and 17,000 ma11 ternal deaths each year. 

12 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con13 gress that— 

14 (1) abortion is a critical component of sexual 

15 and reproductive health care and should be acces16 sible and affordable for all people; 

17 (2) all people have the right to make their own 

18 choices about their sexual and reproductive health, 

19 and to access quality and affordable sexual and re20 productive health care; and 

21 (3) as part of their commitment to prevent un22 safe abortions and preventable deaths and to ensure 

23 that all people have access to comprehensive sexual 

24 and reproductive health care and can exercise their 

25 right to full control over their sexuality and reproVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Aug 03, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4641.IS S4641

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1 duction, developing countries and donor governments 

2 must work collaboratively to deploy funding, align 

3 policies, and mobilize expertise to make safe abortion 

4 services available to those seeking to terminate preg5 nancies. 

6 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

7 It is the policy of the United States Government— 

8 (1) to recognize safe abortion as a critical com9 ponent of comprehensive maternal and reproductive 

10 health care and include safe abortion services as 

11 part of foreign assistance programs funded by the 

12 United States Government; 

13 (2) to make safe abortion widely available and 

14 integrated with other types of health care; and 

15 (3) to work to end unsafe abortion and to pro16 mote safe abortion services by providing funding and 

17 collaborating with affected governments and service 

18 providers to provide training, commodities and 

19 equipment, and access to safe abortion services. 

20 SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPRODUC21 TIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES. 

22 Section 104 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 

23 (22 U.S.C. 2151b) is amended— 

24 (1) in subsection (f)— 

25 (A) by striking paragraph (1); and 


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1 (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and 

2 (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; 

3 (2) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub4 section (h); and 

5 (3) by inserting after subsection (f), as amend6 ed, the following: 

7 ‘‘(g) USE OF FUNDS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REPRO8 DUCTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES.—Notwithstanding 

9 any other provision of law, funds made available to carry 

10 out this part may be used to provide comprehensive repro11 ductive health care services, including abortion services, 

12 training, and equipment.’’. 

Æ 


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