I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4796 
To establish a grant program to fund reproductive health patient navigators 
for individuals seeking abortion services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 20, 2023 
Ms. LEE of Nevada (for herself, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. CARTER of 
Louisiana, 
Mr. 
CONNOLLY, 
Ms. 
CROCKETT, 
Mr. 
EVANS, 
Mr. 
GOTTHEIMER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Mr. 
LIEU, Mrs. MCCLELLAN, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. TITUS, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. 
TRONE, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. 
LANDSMAN, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mrs. 
WATSON COLEMAN, Mrs. FLETCHER, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. 
SOTO, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. PANETTA, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. CLARKE 
of New York, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mrs. SYKES, and Mrs. HAYES) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish a grant program to fund reproductive health 
patient navigators for individuals seeking abortion services. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reproductive Health 
Patient Navigator Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) As the legal hurdles to abortion services in-
crease, so does the complexity of navigating access 
to these essential reproductive health services. 
(2) Community-based organizations like abor-
tion funds are connecting people to abortions, by 
working with individuals to navigate an ever-evolving 
landscape of reproductive health care. 
(3) Abortion funds have been helping individ-
uals navigate the complexity of abortion services for 
decades and are well placed to lead patient naviga-
tion programs. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM FOR REPRO-
DUCTIVE HEALTH PATIENT NAVIGATORS. 
Subpart V of part D of title III of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 340A–1. ESTABLISHMENT OF GRANT PROGRAM FOR 
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PATIENT NAVIGA-
TORS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
grant program to support eligible entities for purposes of 
serving as reproductive health patient navigators for indi-
viduals seeking to access abortion services in order to con-
nect those individuals to abortion services. 
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‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section, an entity shall— 
‘‘(1) be an abortion fund or other nonprofit or-
ganization, a community-based organization, a 
State, local governmental entity, or Tribal govern-
ment that, through programs, services, or activities 
that are unbiased and medically- and factually-accu-
rate, assists individuals seeking abortion services; 
and 
‘‘(2) submit an application to the Secretary, at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require, including a 
plan for— 
‘‘(A) establishing and operating a program 
of patient navigator services to help individuals 
seeking abortion services access abortion serv-
ices, as described in subsection (c); and 
‘‘(B) ensuring that any personally identifi-
able patient data obtained through the oper-
ation of such program is kept confidential. 
‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity receiving a grant 
under this section shall use such funds for one or more 
of the following activities related to abortion services: 
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‘‘(1) Offering individuals seeking abortion serv-
ices medically-accurate, culturally- and linguistically- 
appropriate services and resources. 
‘‘(2) Coordinating financing resources for trav-
el-related costs, including transportation, childcare, 
and lodging. 
‘‘(3) Coordinating abortion services, including 
identifying available abortion providers and sched-
uling appointments. 
‘‘(4) Providing emotional wellness and doula 
support to individuals accessing abortion services. 
‘‘(5) Providing individuals seeking abortion 
services with unbiased and medically and factually 
accurate reproductive health information to support 
individuals’ informed decision-making. 
‘‘(6) Developing partnerships with local commu-
nity organizations providing services for which eligi-
ble entity provides assistance, abortion service pro-
viders, and other patient navigators, such as patient 
navigators receiving grants under section 340A. 
‘‘(7) Assisting with understanding reimburse-
ment and health insurance coverage options, includ-
ing completing eligibility and enrollment forms. 
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‘‘(8) Assisting with understanding where abor-
tion services are legal and the ways in which abor-
tion services may be restricted. 
‘‘(d) PATIENT NAVIGATOR PROTECTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—No individual, entity, or 
State may prevent, restrict, impede, or disadvantage 
an entity eligible to receive a grant under this sec-
tion by nature of delivering services described in 
subsection (c), or any affiliate of such an entity or 
individual or other entity collaborating with such an 
entity, from— 
‘‘(A) providing or assisting a health care 
provider, or any other person, with eligible serv-
ices described in subsection (c) related to repro-
ductive health care services— 
‘‘(i) lawful in the State in which serv-
ices are to be provided; or 
‘‘(ii) provided for an individual who 
does not reside in the State in which the 
services are to be provided; or 
‘‘(B) carrying out the activities described 
in this section in any State, including any State 
in which abortion services are not lawful. 
‘‘(2) ENFORCEMENT.— 
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‘‘(A) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The Attorney 
General may commence a civil action on behalf 
of the United States against any State, or 
against any government official, individual, or 
entity that enacts, implements, or enforces a 
limitation or requirement that violates para-
graph (1). The court shall hold unlawful and 
set aside the limitation or requirement if it is 
in violation of paragraph (1). 
‘‘(B) PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION.—Any re-
productive health patient navigator adversely 
affected by an alleged violation of paragraph 
(1) may commence a civil action against any 
State that violates this subsection, against any 
government official that enacts, implements, or 
enforces a limitation or requirement that vio-
lates paragraph (1), or against any individual 
who, pursuant to State law, prevents, restricts, 
impedes, or disadvantages the entity from car-
rying out activities in violation of paragraph 
(1). The court shall hold unlawful and enjoin 
the limitation or requirement if it is in violation 
of paragraph (1). 
‘‘(C) EQUITABLE RELIEF.—In any action 
under this subsection, the court may award ap-
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propriate equitable relief, including temporary, 
preliminary, or permanent injunctive relief. 
‘‘(D) COSTS.—In any action under this 
subsection, the court shall award costs of litiga-
tion, as well as reasonable attorney’s fees, to 
any prevailing plaintiff. A plaintiff shall not be 
liable to a defendant for costs or attorney’s fees 
in any nonfrivolous action under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(E) JURISDICTION.—The district courts 
of the United States shall have jurisdiction over 
proceedings under this subsection and shall ex-
ercise the same without regard to whether the 
party aggrieved shall have exhausted any ad-
ministrative or other remedies that may be pro-
vided for by law. 
‘‘(F) ABROGATION OF STATE IMMUNITY.— 
Neither a State that enforces or maintains, nor 
a government official who is permitted to imple-
ment or enforce, any limitation or requirement 
that violates paragraph (1) shall be immune 
under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitu-
tion of the United States, the Eleventh Amend-
ment to the Constitution of the United States, 
or any other source of law, from an action in 
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a Federal or State court of competent jurisdic-
tion challenging that limitation or requirement. 
‘‘(G) RIGHT TO REMOVE.—Any party shall 
have a right to remove an action brought under 
this subsection to the district court of the 
United States for the district and division em-
bracing the place where such action is pending. 
An order remanding the case to the State court 
from which it was removed under this para-
graph may be immediately reviewable by appeal 
or otherwise. 
‘‘(e) FUNDING.—There are appropriated, for fiscal 
years 2023 through 2027, out of amounts in the Treasury 
not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be nec-
essary for purposes of carrying out this section.’’. 
Æ 
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