II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5227 

To authorize grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses 

and logistical support for individuals with respect to accessing abortion 

services, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 8, 2022 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. DUCKWORTH, 

Mr. SANDERS, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. SMITH, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. 

HIRONO, Mr. BROWN, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To authorize grants to eligible entities to pay for travelrelated expenses and logistical support for individuals 

with respect to accessing abortion 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 ‘‘Reproductive Health 

5 Travel Fund Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds as follows: 


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1 (1) On June 24, 2022, in its decision in Dobbs 

2 v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Su3 preme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, reversing dec4 ades of precedent recognizing the constitutional 

5 right to terminate a pregnancy. 

6 (2) The abortion access landscape was already 

7 strained. This decision has decimated access for mil8 lions of people in the United States. More than half 

9 of States are predicted to ban or severely restrict 

10 abortion in the months and years following the deci11 sion. 

12 (3) The implications of this decision will fall 

13 hardest on people who already face barriers to 

14 health care access, particularly Black people, Indige15 nous people, and other people of color, people with 

16 disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, peo17 ple with documentation barriers, and those having 

18 difficulty making ends meet. 

19 (4) People have always had abortions and al20 ways will, even in the face of legal, financial, and 

21 logistical barriers, or criminalization. While some 

22 will self-manage their abortions, and have the option 

23 of using pills that are medically safe and effective, 

24 many others are traveling hundreds of miles out of 

25 State, or forced to carry pregnancies to term. 


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1 (5) Abortion funds and practical support funds 

2 (referred to in this section as ‘‘funds’’) are commu3 nity-based organizations that support people in over4 coming financial and logistical barriers to abortion 

5 care. 

6 (6) Funds work together to remove financial 

7 and logistical barriers to abortion access and have 

8 been doing this work for decades. Some of these bar9 riers are transportation, food, lodging, childcare, 

10 translation, doula services, among other barriers. 

11 (7) Many funds are led by people who have had 

12 abortions themselves, including a growing base of 

13 Black and Brown leaders who have themselves faced 

14 abortion obstacles and understand the complex cir15 cumstances individuals may face. 

16 (8) Abortion funds have a history of being 

17 underresourced and rely mostly on volunteer time 

18 and energy to support communities. 

19 (9) Abortion and practical support funds hold 

20 some of the closest ties to people who are having 

21 abortions and have the first-hand experience, up-to22 date and on-the-ground knowledge, and the regional 

23 and national connections needed to support abortion 

24 seekers financially, emotionally, or logistically. 


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1 (10) Clinics in States where abortion is legal 

2 and more accessible are receiving an influx of people 

3 seeking abortions. Provider shortages plus this rapid 

4 increase in patients will cause longer waits for ap5 pointments. 

6 (11) When people are not able to access an 

7 abortion when they need it, they are often pushed 

8 much further into pregnancy. This increases costs 

9 exponentially. For many, the increased financial bur10 den will push abortion care completely out of reach. 

11 (12) A rapidly changing access landscape, as 

12 bans are implemented and challenged, means that 

13 the window to access care in certain States may be 

14 limited. People who are put in a position where they 

15 must postpone their care due to financial or other 

16 constraints may face appointment cancellations due 

17 to overnight changes in legality. 

18 (13) Funds often work with each other if they 

19 cannot fully assist a caller, or if a caller is traveling 

20 across regions. A national network of almost 100 

21 abortion and practical support funds has dem22 onstrated these funds are uniquely positioned to lead 

23 in this moment and need support. 


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1 SEC. 3. GRANTS TO PAY FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES AND 

2 LOGISTICAL SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS AC3 CESSING ABORTION SERVICES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treasury 

5 (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) may award 

6 grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses 

7 and logistical support for individuals with respect to ac8 cessing abortion services. 

9 (b) TIMING.—Beginning not later than 30 days after 

10 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall so11 licit applications for grants under this section. 

12 (c) USE OF FUNDS.— 

13 (1) PERMISSIBLE USES.—An eligible entity re14 ceiving a grant under this section shall use the grant 

15 for travel-related expenses and logistical support for 

16 individuals with respect to accessing abortion serv17 ices, which may include any of the following ex18 penses and support: 

19 (A) Round trip travel to the location where 

20 the abortion services are provided. 

21 (B) Lodging. 

22 (C) Meals. 

23 (D) Childcare. 

24 (E) Translation services. 

25 (F) Doula care. 


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1 (G) Patient education and information 

2 services. 

3 (2) ORGANIZATIONAL COSTS.—An eligible enti4 ty receiving a grant under this section may use up 

5 to, but not more than, 15 percent of the grant funds 

6 to cover organizational costs such as— 

7 (A) community outreach efforts; 

8 (B) physical infrastructure construction 

9 and maintenance; 

10 (C) website development and maintenance; 

11 and 

12 (D) increasing staff capacity and training. 

13 (3) IMPERMISSIBLE USES.—An eligible entity 

14 receiving a grant under this section shall not use the 

15 grant for costs of an abortion procedure. 

16 (d) APPLICATIONS.—To seek a grant under this sec17 tion, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an 

18 application at such time, in such manner, and containing 

19 such information as the Secretary determines appropriate. 

20 (e) PRIORITY.—In selecting the recipients of grants 

21 under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligi22 ble entities that— 

23 (1) serve individuals who live in a jurisdiction 

24 that has banned or severely restricted access to 

25 abortion; 


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1 (2) serve individuals who travel to a jurisdiction 

2 other than the one where they live to be provided 

3 abortion services; or 

4 (3) have a program in operation, or submit as 

5 part of the application required under subsection (d) 

6 a plan to establish and operate a program, to help 

7 individuals access abortion services. 

8 (f) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

10 after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 

11 thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 

12 report on the program under this section. 

13 (2) CONFIDENTIALITY.—The reports under 

14 paragraph (1) shall not include any individually 

15 identifiable information. 

16 (g) PREEMPTION.—The provisions of this section 

17 shall supercede any provision of State, Tribal, territorial, 

18 or local law that would have the effect of prohibiting any 

19 use of funds provided for under this section. 

20 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

21 (1) The term ‘‘eligible entity’’— 

22 (A) means a nonprofit organization, or a 

23 community-based organization, that assists in24 dividuals seeking an abortion through proVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:47 Dec 13, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5227.IS S5227

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1 grams, services, or activities that are unbiased 

2 and medically and factually accurate; and 

3 (B) excludes any entity that discourages 

4 individuals from seeking an abortion. 

5 (2) The term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means 

6 an organization that— 

7 (A) is described in subsection (c)(3) of sec8 tion 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 

9 and 

10 (B) is, under subsection (a) of such sec11 tion, exempt from taxation. 

12 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

13 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

14 $350,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. 

Æ 


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