HOUSE BILL NO. 638
INTRODUCED BY B. BERGREN
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT APPROPRIATING MONEY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO FUND CONTRACEPTIVE SERVICES; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Health and Human Services contracts with 15 family planning delegate agencies in 29 locations throughout Montana offering comprehensive family planning, medical, counseling, and education services, and these clinics rely on federal Title X funding, which is devoted to the provision of family planning and reproductive health care; and
WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2006, 28,309 men and women were served by Title X clinics in Montana; and
WHEREAS, 70% of these clients were at or below 150% of the poverty level, and only 5% of Montana's family planning clinics are served by Medicaid; and
WHEREAS, Montana's Title X clinics face many challenges in providing quality, comprehensive reproductive health care to low-income men and women, including rising costs of contraceptives, laboratory tests, and health care personnel; and
WHEREAS, even with a reduced formulary of contraceptive methods, local clinics still struggle with an average 57% increase in costs for contraception, causing some clinics to spend their year's budget for contraceptives in 3 months and other clinics to reduce their clinic hours; and
WHEREAS, access to a broad choice of contraceptive methods is important to a woman's successful practice of contraception, increasing the woman's ability to use the method correctly and successfully; and
WHEREAS, access to affordable contraceptive services is essential to family planning, which saves taxpayer dollars, reduces the need for abortions, and improves pregnancy outcomes by reducing low birthweight babies, infant mortality, and maternal health problems.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
NEW SECTION. Section 1. Appropriation. There is appropriated $600,000 each fiscal year from the general fund to the department of public health and human services to fund contraceptive services for the biennium ending June 30, 2009.
NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2007.
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Latest Version of HB 638 (HB0638.01)
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