Title: EQUIP Act of 2017
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Enhancing Questions to Understand Intentions for Pregnancy Act of 2017 or the EQUIP Act of 2017
This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide eligible health organizations with demonstration program grants to implement routine screenings about women's pregnancy intentions in order to provide better contraceptive and prepregnancy care.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4418 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4418

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a demonstration 
  program to facilitate the clinical adoption of pregnancy intention 
            screening initiatives by health care providers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2017

 Ms. Bonamici introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a demonstration 
  program to facilitate the clinical adoption of pregnancy intention 
            screening initiatives by health care providers.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Enhancing Questions to Understand 
Intentions for Pregnancy Act of 2017'' or the ``EQUIP Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. PREGNANCY INTENTION SCREENING INITIATIVE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
sections:

``SEC. 399V-7. PREGNANCY INTENTION SCREENING INITIATIVE DEMONSTRATION 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program Establishment.--The Secretary, through the Director 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall establish a 
demonstration program to facilitate the clinical adoption of pregnancy 
intention screening initiatives by health care providers.
    ``(b) Grants.--The Secretary may carry out the demonstration 
program through awarding grants to eligible entities to implement 
pregnancy intention screening initiatives, collect data, and evaluate 
such initiatives.
    ``(c) Eligible Entities.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity under this section is 
        an entity described in paragraph (2) that provides non-
        directive, comprehensive, medically accurate information.
            ``(2) Entities described.--For purposes of paragraph (1), 
        an entity described in this paragraph is a community-based 
        organization, voluntary health organization, public health 
        department, community health center, or other interested public 
        or private health care provider or organization.
    ``(d) Pregnancy Intention Screening Initiative.--For purposes of 
this section, the term `pregnancy intention screening initiative' means 
any initiative by a health care provider to routinely screen women with 
respect to their pregnancy intentions and goals to either prevent 
unintended pregnancies or improve the likelihood of healthy 
pregnancies, in order to better provide health care that meets the 
contraceptive or pre-pregnancy needs of such women.
    ``(e) Evaluation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
        shall, by grant or contract, and after consultation as 
        described in paragraph (2), conduct an evaluation of the 
        demonstration program, with respect to pregnancy intention 
        screening initiatives, conducted under this section. The 
        evaluation shall include:
                    ``(A) Assessment of the implementation of pregnancy 
                intention screening protocols among a diverse group of 
                patients and providers, including collecting data on 
                the experiences and outcomes for diverse patient 
                populations in a variety of clinical settings.
                    ``(B) Analysis of outcome measures that will 
                facilitate effective and widespread adoption of such 
                protocols by health care providers for inquiring about 
                and responding to pregnancy intentions of women with 
                both contraceptive and pre-pregnancy care.
                    ``(C) Consideration of health disparities among the 
                population served.
                    ``(D) Assessment of the equitable and voluntary 
                application of such initiatives to minority and 
                medically underserved communities.
                    ``(E) Assessment of the training, capacity, and 
                ongoing technical assistance needed for providers to 
                effectively implement such pregnancy intention 
                screening protocols.
                    ``(F) Assessment of whether referral systems for 
                selected protocols follow evidence-based standards that 
                ensure access to comprehensive health services and 
                appropriate follow-up care.
            ``(2) Independent, expert advisory panel.--In conducting 
        the evaluation under paragraph (1), the Director of the Centers 
        for Disease Control and Prevention shall consult with 
        physicians, physician assistants, and nurses who specialize in 
        women's health, and other experts in clinical practice, program 
        evaluation, and research.
            ``(3) Report.--Not later than one year after the last day 
        of the demonstration program under this section, the Director 
        of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall submit 
        to Congress a report on the results of the evaluation conducted 
        under paragraph (1) and shall make the report publicly 
        available.
    ``(f) Funding.--
            ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this 
        section, there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2018 through 2020.
            ``(2) Limitation.--Not more than 25 percent of funds 
        appropriated to carry out this section pursuant to paragraph 
        (1) for a fiscal year may be used for purposes of the 
        evaluation under subsection (e).''.
                                 <all>