Georgia-2009-SR281-Introduced

By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Butler of the 55th, Tate of the 38th, Henson of the 41st, Jackson of the 2nd and others

Urging the United States Congress to enact the Prevention First Act (H.R. 463/S.21); and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, improving access to preventive health care and supporting healthy families should be a shared national goal; and

WHEREAS, according to the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia has the 7th highest number of AIDS cases in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature further recognizes that Guttmacher Institute studies show Georgia has the 8th highest teenage pregnancy rate of any state; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature further recognizes that Guttmacher Institute studies show that even prior to current budget cuts, family planning clinics in Georgia served only 41 percent of all women in need of publicly supported contraceptive services; and

WHEREAS, increased funding from the federal government would ameliorate the problems of unintended pregnancies and high rates of sexually transmitted disease, as well as the current insufficient levels of funds to address these crises; and

WHEREAS, the Prevention First Act (H.R. 463/S.21) introduced in the 111th Congress is an omnibus family planning initiative that expands access to preventive health care services and education programs to help reduce unintended pregnancy, improve birth outcomes, prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and support healthy families by improving women's health. This federal legislation offers to amend public health legislation, including Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, Title V, Title VI, Title VII, and Title VIII; and

WHEREAS, Title I should be amended to authorize $700 million in funding for Title X family planning clinics; and
WHEREAS, Title II should be amended to require private health plans to cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives and related medical services; and

WHEREAS, Title III should be amended to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information about emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers; and

WHEREAS, Title IV should be amended to require that hospitals receiving federal funds provide victims of sexual assault with information and access to emergency contraception; and

WHEREAS, Title V should be amended to provide annual funding to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs; and

WHEREAS, Title VI should be amended to require federally funded programs that provide information on the use of contraceptives to ensure that the information is medically accurate and includes health benefits and failure rates; and

WHEREAS, Title VII should be amended to strengthen Medicaid coverage of family planning services; and

WHEREAS, Title VIII should be amended to provide for abstinence-based, comprehensive, medically accurate sex education programs that teach young people about making healthy, responsible decisions, and includes information about abstinence, health, and contraceptives; and

WHEREAS, sponsored by Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY), respectively, such legislation is supported by public health advocates groups across the nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body fully support and strongly encourage the passage of the Prevention First Act (H.R. 463/S.21).

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Governor Sonny Perdue, President Barack Obama, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of the Georgia Congressional Delegation.