The Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved a bill on Tuesday that will ensure future access to free birth control, regardless of any changing federal laws, in the state, reports the Boston Globe.
The bill passed in the House with flying colors last week. Now, after a 27-0 vote in the Senate, it moves on to Governor Charlie Baker’s desk, where he is expected to sign it in the near future.
If and when the bill is passed, coverage for prescription birth control will continue in the face of whatever legislation may come up against it. It will also continue without any kind of co-payments. Federal policy may change, and the Affordable Care Act may be repealed by the Trump administration, but this legislation is here to stay. The legislation also expands coverage to the purchasing of over-the-counter emergency contraceptives without a doctor’s prescription.
The legislation stands in direct contrast to the executive order President Trump signed last month that would let employers opt out of providing birth control coverage due to religious or moral objections.
Previously, a Baker spokesperson said the governor’s administration “fully supports access to women’s health and family planning services, is prepared to protect access to those services, and will carefully review any final legislation that reaches the governor’s desk.”
Planned Parenthood has applauded the bill’s passage in the Senate and is hopeful for what it will bring to the state of Massachusetts. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, president of the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts, wrote in a statement that “Birth control is basic preventive health care that helps women stay healthy and improves the wellbeing of children and families.”
BREAKING: We did it! The @MA_Senate overwhelmingly passed #ACCESSBillMA to protect no copay birth control. Click here to send a thank you letter to your state senator: https://t.co/qnJyNe1eW0 pic.twitter.com/uiPvG1817k
— Planned Parenthood (@PPAdvocacyMA) November 14, 2017
Senate Majority Leader Harriette Chandler approved of the bill in a press release issued on Tuesday, saying she hopes “this can serve as a model to the country…After all, 50 percent of this nation is female. We can’t just go ignoring their needs.”
It’s safe to say Chandler’s words echo the thoughts of many around the country.