BILLS WE SUPPORT THAT HAVE MOVED TO THE OTHER HOUSE
HB 1568 Pharmacist Prescribed Birth Control. This bill would allow pharmacists who meet certain requirements to prescribe and dispense hormonal birth hormonal contraceptives – and would also require health plans to cover the cost. Hormonal prescriptions (birth control pills, rings, patches) are already available at pharmacies worldwide. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has long supported moving hormonal birth control from prescription to over-the-counter, as does the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Medical Association. Indiana Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates are also supporting this bill. On February HB 1568 got a vote of 86 yeas and 12 nays in the House. It it now in the Senate where the sponsors are Glick, Leising, Becker, and Scott Alexander.
SB 252 Long-acting reversible contraceptives. Allows a long-acting reversible contraceptive that is prescribed to and obtained for a Medicaid recipient to be transferred to another Medicaid recipient. Current law ties the devices to their assigned Medicaid recipients even if those people change their minds or just don’t show up to the follow-up appointment. Passed in the Senate by 49-0 on February 7 and is now in the House.
SB 266 Long-acting reversible contraceptives. Requires a hospital that operates a maternity unit to ensure that a woman giving birth in the hospital has the option of having a long-acting reversible subdermal contraceptive implanted after delivery and before the woman is discharged. On February 27 it passed the Senate with Yeas 26; Nays 23.
We also support SB 4 Public Health Commission. On February 23 this bill passed by a vote of 152-41 and is now in the House. According to the Indiana Capital Chronicle, “In one sense, Senate Bill 4 is actually an infrastructure bill regarding public health and preventative health services designed to ensure that every county in the state provides coordinate services,” former Sen. Luke Kenley told lawmakers….Asking for less than the Governor’s Public Health Commission originally suggested, Gov. Eric Holcomb is pursuing $120 million in fiscal year 2024 and another $227 million in fiscal year 2025 to increase public health services across the state.” This is on top of the the $80 million in SB 2 (special session) that was for programs to support pregnant people and child programs and adoption.
A few more anti-abortion bills were filed in 2023 but none even received a committee hearing. We sincerely hope that the Indiana Supreme Court does not issue a ruling on SB 1 (ss) until after the session ends.