I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3372 
To establish a public education and awareness program relating to emergency 
contraception. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 3, 2007 
Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. RYAN of 
Ohio, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. ACKERMAN, 
Mr. ALLEN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BERMAN, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. CARSON, Mr. 
CROWLEY, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. FARR, Mr. 
FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HARMAN, Mr. HASTINGS 
of Florida, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. LARSEN of 
Washington, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mrs. LOWEY, Mrs. MALONEY of New 
York, Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. 
MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. NADLER, 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. OLVER, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. ROTH-
MAN, Ms. LORETTA
SANCHEZ
of California, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. 
TIERNEY, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WYNN, Mr. 
KUCINICH, Ms. SUTTON, Ms. LEE, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. HONDA, Ms. BERK-
LEY, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. 
LOEBSACK, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Ms. 
WOOLSEY, Mr. WELCH of Vermont, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. HOLT, and Mr. 
ISRAEL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish a public education and awareness program 
relating to emergency contraception. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Emergency Contracep-
tion Education Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Each year 3,000,000 pregnancies, or one 
half of all pregnancies, in the United States are un-
intended, and 4 in 10 of these unintended preg-
nancies end in abortion. 
(2) The Food and Drug Administration has de-
clared emergency contraception to be safe and effec-
tive in preventing unintended pregnancy for women 
of reproductive potential and has approved over-the- 
counter access to the emergency contraceptive Plan 
B for adults. 
(3) The most commonly used forms of emer-
gency contraception are regimens of ordinary birth 
control pills. Taken within 72 hours of unprotected 
intercourse or contraceptive failure, emergency con-
traception can reduce the risk of pregnancy by as 
much as 89 percent. Recent medical evidence con-
firms that emergency contraception can be effective 
up to five days after unprotected intercourse or con-
traception failure. 
(4) Emergency contraception, also known as 
post-coital contraception, is a responsible means of 
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preventing pregnancy that works like other hormonal 
contraception by delaying ovulation preventing fer-
tilization and may prevent implantation. 
(5) Emergency contraception does not cause 
abortion and will not affect an established preg-
nancy. 
(6) Increased usage of emergency contraception 
could reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, 
thereby reducing the need for abortion. 
(8) Emergency contraceptive use in the United 
States remains low, and one in three women of re-
productive age remain unaware of the method. 
(9) Although the American College of Obstetri-
cians and Gynecologists recommends that doctors 
routinely discuss emergency contraception with 
women of reproductive age during their annual visit, 
only one in four ob/gyns routinely discuss emergency 
contraception with their patients, suggesting the 
need for greater provider and patient education. 
(10) It is estimated that 25,000 to 32,000 
women become pregnant each year as a result of 
rape or incest, half of whom choose to terminate 
their pregnancy. If used correctly, emergency contra-
ception could help many of these rape survivors 
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avoid the additional trauma of facing an unintended 
pregnancy. 
(11) A recent study conducted by Ibis Repro-
ductive Health found that less than 18 percent of 
hospitals provide emergency contraception at a wom-
an’s request without restrictions. At nearly 50 per-
cent of hospitals, emergency contraception is un-
available even in cases of sexual assault. 
(12) In light of their safety and efficacy, both 
the American Medical Association and the American 
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have en-
dorsed more widespread availability of emergency 
contraceptive. 
(13) Healthy People 2010, published by the Of-
fice of the Surgeon General, establishes a 10-year 
national public health goal of increasing the propor-
tion of health care providers who provide emergency 
contraception to their patients. 
(14) Public awareness campaigns targeting 
women and health care providers will help remove 
many of the barriers to emergency contraception and 
will help bring this important means of pregnancy 
prevention to women in the United States. 
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SEC. 3. EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION EDUCATION AND IN-
FORMATION PROGRAMS. 
(a) EMERGENCY
CONTRACEPTION
PUBLIC
EDU-
CATION PROGRAM.— 
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, shall develop and dissemi-
nate to the public information on emergency contra-
ception. 
(2) DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary may dis-
seminate information under paragraph (1) directly 
or through arrangements with nonprofit organiza-
tions, consumer groups, institutions of higher edu-
cation, clinics, the media, and Federal, State, and 
local agencies. 
(3) INFORMATION.—The information dissemi-
nated under paragraph (1) shall include, at a min-
imum, a description of emergency contraception and 
an explanation of the use, safety, efficacy, and avail-
ability of such contraception. 
(b) EMERGENCY
CONTRACEPTION
INFORMATION 
PROGRAM FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.— 
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Administrator of the Health Resources 
and Services Administration and in consultation 
with major medical and public health organizations, 
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