Sense of the Senate

It is the sense of the Senate that— (1) in order to increase access to oral birth control, such birth control must be both easier to obtain and affordable and, to make such birth control either easier to obtain or more affordable, but not both, is to leave unacceptable barriers in place; (2) women are often denied coverage for the newer contraceptive products on the market, even though contraceptives are required by law to be covered at 100 percent, which both limits patients’ options and discourages the development of new contraceptive products; (3) it is imperative that the entities that research and develop oral birth control and whose medical and scientific experts have developed clinical and other evidence that oral birth control for routine, daily use is safe and effective when sold without a prescription, apply to the Food and Drug Administration for review and approval for sale of such birth control without a prescription; (4) upon the receipt of such an application, the Food and Drug Administration should determine whether the oral birth control meets the rigorous safety, efficacy, and quality standards for over-the-counter use under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), and if the product meets those standards, the Food and Drug Administration should approve the application without delay; and (5) if and when the Food and Drug Administration approves an oral birth control that is available over-the-counter, such birth control should be covered by health insurance, without a prescription and without cost-sharing.