“The Access to Contraception for Women Servicemembers and Dependents Act, introduced in the House and Senate today, would give servicewomen and their families who rely on the military for health care the contraceptive coverage and counseling they need. Its passage is an essential step in providing high-quality health care to the women and families who make enormous sacrifices for our country.

We applaud Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) for sponsoring and championing this legislation. It would require TRICARE to cover all Food and Drug Administration-approved methods of contraception without cost-sharing. It would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to use evidence-based standards when counseling on and prescribing birth control. And it would require the DoD to develop a uniform standard curriculum for family planning education programs, and improve access to emergency contraception for servicewomen who survive sexual assault.

Passage of this bill should be a high priority for every member of Congress. Ninety-seven percent of servicewomen are of reproductive age, and their health should be of paramount importance to every lawmaker. Those who sacrifice so much for our country deserve nothing less.”