Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that policies governing access to medication abortion care in the United States should be equitable and based on science.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that policies concerning medication abortions should be grounded in science, be based on a review of medical evidence, and ensure equitable access for patients.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 589 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 589

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that policies 
   governing access to medication abortion care in the United States 
               should be equitable and based on science.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 17, 2021

Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York (for herself, Ms. DeGette, Ms. Lee 
    of California, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Danny K. Davis of 
    Illinois, Ms. Speier, Ms. Jacobs of California, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
   Cicilline, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Welch, Mr. Trone, Mr. 
 Foster, Ms. McCollum, Mrs. Torres of California, Ms. Strickland, Ms. 
 Chu, Mr. Connolly, Ms. Manning, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Johnson of 
Georgia, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Titus, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Grijalva, 
  Mr. Brown, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Mr. 
  Pocan, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. 
 Espaillat, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Brownley, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. 
Quigley, Mrs. Fletcher, Mr. Lieu, Ms. Dean, Mr. Cooper, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. 
Castor of Florida, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Jones, Mr. Smith of Washington, 
Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Williams of Georgia, 
Miss Rice of New York, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Sarbanes, 
 Mrs. Lawrence, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Omar, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Evans, Mr. 
Kilmer, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Schrier, Mr. Veasey, Ms. 
Adams, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Huffman, Mr. DeFazio, 
 Mr. Bowman, Ms. Bass, Ms. Meng, and Ms. Bush) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that policies 
   governing access to medication abortion care in the United States 
               should be equitable and based on science.

Whereas Congress has authorized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under 
        section 505-1(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (42 
        U.S.C. 355-1(a)(1)) to impose Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies 
        (REMS) where ``necessary to ensure that the benefits of [a] drug 
        outweigh the risks of the drug'';
Whereas mifepristone received FDA approval more than two decades ago, and 
        according to the FDA, mifepristone's ``efficacy and safety have become 
        well-established by both research and experience, and serious 
        complications have proven to be extremely rare'';
Whereas the REMS restrictions for mifepristone require that it be dispensed to 
        patients in person, that health care providers who prescribe 
        mifepristone receive certification before doing so, and that certified 
        prescribers obtain a signed safety agreement from patients before 
        dispensing mifepristone to them;
Whereas of the more than 20,000 drugs the FDA regulates, mifepristone is the 
        only drug that the FDA requires patients to obtain in person at a 
        hospital, clinic, or medical office, but allows patients to self-
        administer unsupervised at home or at a location of their choosing;
Whereas the FDA permits numerous drugs posing greater safety risks than 
        mifepristone to be administered to patients without REMS restrictions;
Whereas according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 
        the REMS restrictions for mifepristone ``have no medical basis, provide 
        no patient benefit, and unnecessarily restrict access to care'';
Whereas the REMS restrictions for mifepristone are also opposed by the American 
        Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and 
        other leading medical authorities;
Whereas the World Health Organization recognizes that medication abortion plays 
        a crucial role in the provision of access to safe, effective abortion 
        care;
Whereas lifting the in-person dispensing requirement and other REMS restrictions 
        for mifepristone would improve access without weakening the strong 
        safety profile of the drug;
Whereas patients should be able to receive medication abortion in the way that 
        makes most sense for them from the provider of their choosing, whether 
        that is at a health center, their local pharmacy, or delivered to their 
        home;
Whereas unnecessary restrictions on abortion, including medication abortion, 
        disproportionately push care out of reach for people of color, people 
        with lower incomes, those in rural communities, and other pregnant 
        people who have been disproportionately harmed by burdensome and 
        medically unnecessary State and Federal restrictions on abortion care, 
        as well as systemic inequities in health care that have been exacerbated 
        by the coronavirus pandemic;
Whereas Congress required that any REMS not be ``unduly burdensome on patient 
        access to the drug, considering in particular . . . patients who have 
        difficulty accessing health care (such as patients in rural or medically 
        underserved areas)'', among other factors (section 505-1(f)(2)(C)(ii) of 
        the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (42 U.S.C. 355-
        1(f)(2)(C)(ii)));
Whereas, on April 12, 2021, the FDA announced that it would exercise enforcement 
        discretion to temporarily lift the in-person dispensing requirement for 
        mifepristone for the duration of the coronavirus public health 
        emergency; and
Whereas, on May 7, 2021, the FDA indicated that it is conducting an evidence-
        based review of the REMS restrictions for mifepristone: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
policies governing access to medication abortion care in the United 
States should--
            (1) be grounded in science and based on a scientific review 
        of available medical evidence; and
            (2) ensure equitable access for patients harmed by 
        restrictions that--
                    (A) have impeded access to sexual and reproductive 
                health care; and
                    (B) have worsened health disparities for people of 
                color, immigrants, people with lower incomes, and 
                people in other marginalized communities.
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