Somerville Reps Vote In Favor Of ACCESS Bill

SOMERVILLE, MA – State representatives from Somerville and Medford are backing the ACCESS Bill, an act that protects against rollbacks of coverage for birth control at the federal level. The bill takes aim at a Trump administration regulation passed last month that allows employers to deny birth control coverage to workers. Under the proposed law, residents would be protected from this denial of coverage and access to contraception would be expanded, according to a press release.

State Representatives Christine Barber, Denise Provost and Mike Connolly all voted last week in favor of the ACCESS Bill. It will guarantee coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptives and related appointments and counseling with no copay for the 1.4 million women who use some form of birth control in Massachusetts, as well as require insurance plans to adhere to the decisions made by doctors and patients.

"Women’s health is non-negotiable for me, and should be for government at all levels. I’m delighted that the Massachusetts House has enacted the contraceptive ACCESS bill, with an Emergency Preamble, to make it effective immediately" Provost said in a release.

The House and Senate voted Tuesday to enact the legislation.

Photo: A one-month dosage of hormonal birth control pills is displayed Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, in Sacramento, Calif.

Image via Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press