Bill Text: MI SB0370 | 2013-2014 | 97th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Health; other; emergency contraceptive education act; create. Amends 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.1101 - 333.25211) by adding pt. 98.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-05-21 - Referred To Committee On Health Policy [SB0370 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2013-SB0370-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL No. 370
May 21, 2013, Introduced by Senators JOHNSON, WARREN, SMITH, ANDERSON, BIEDA, WHITMER and GREGORY and referred to the Committee on Health Policy.
A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled
"Public health code,"
(MCL 333.1101 to 333.25211) by adding part 98.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
PART 98. EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES
Sec. 9801. This part shall be known and may be cited as the
"emergency contraceptive education act".
Sec. 9803. The legislature finds all of the following:
(a) Each year, 3,000,000 pregnancies, or 1/2 of all
pregnancies, in the United States are unintended, and 1/2 of all of
these unintended pregnancies end in abortion.
(b) That the United States food and drug administration has
declared emergency contraception to be safe and effective in
preventing unintended pregnancy, reducing the risk of unintended
pregnancy by as much as 89%.
(c) That the most commonly used forms of emergency
contraception are regimens of ordinary birth control pills taken
within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse or contraceptive
failure.
(d) That emergency contraception, also known as postcoital
contraception, is a responsible means of preventing pregnancy that
works like other hormonal contraception to delay ovulation, to
prevent fertilization, or to prevent implantation.
(e) That emergency contraception does not cause abortion and
will not affect an established pregnancy.
(f) That it is estimated that the use of emergency
contraception could cut the number of unintended pregnancies in
half, thereby reducing the need for abortion.
(g) That emergency contraceptive use in the United States
remains low, and 9 in 10 women of reproductive age remain unaware
of the method of emergency contraception.
(h) That although the American college of obstetricians and
gynecologists recommends that doctors routinely offer women of
reproductive age a prescription for emergency contraceptive pills
during their annual visit, only 1 in 5 obstetricians and
gynecologists routinely discuss emergency contraception with their
patients, suggesting the need for greater health care provider and
patient education.
(i) That in light of their safety and efficacy, both the
American medical association and the American college of
obstetricians and gynecologists have endorsed more widespread
availability of emergency contraceptive pills, and have recommended
that emergency contraceptive pills be available without a
prescription.
(j) That "healthy people 2010", published by the United States
department of health and human services, establishes a 10-year
national public health goal of increasing the proportion of health
care providers who provide emergency contraception to their
patients.
(k) That public awareness campaigns targeting women and health
care providers will help remove many of the barriers to emergency
contraception and will help bring this important means of pregnancy
prevention to American women.
Sec. 9805. (1) As used in this part:
(a) "Emergency contraceptive" means a prescription drug that
meets both of the following criteria:
(i) Is used after sexual relations.
(ii) Prevents pregnancy by preventing ovulation, fertilization
of an egg, or implantation of an egg in a uterus.
(b) "Health care professional" means an individual who is
licensed, registered, or otherwise authorized to engage in a health
profession under article 15.
(c) "Health facility or agency" means that term as defined in
section 20106.
(d) "Institution of higher education" means a degree or
certificate granting public or private college, university, junior
college, or community college.
(e) "Prescription drug" means that term as defined in section
17708.
(f) "Secretary" means the secretary of health and human
services.
(2) Article 1 contains general definitions and principles of
construction applicable to all articles in this act.
Sec. 9807. (1) Subject to subsection (3), the department shall
develop and disseminate to the public information on emergency
contraceptives.
(2) The department may disseminate information developed under
subsection (1) directly or through arrangements with nonprofit
organizations, consumer groups, institutions of higher education,
federal, state, or local agencies, health facilities or agencies,
and the media.
(3) The department shall include in the information
disseminated under subsection (1), at a minimum, a description of
emergency contraceptives, and an explanation of the use, safety,
efficacy, and availability of emergency contraceptives.
Sec. 9809. (1) The department, in consultation with major
medical and public health organizations, shall develop and
disseminate to health care professionals and health facilities or
agencies information on emergency contraceptives.
(2) The department shall include in the information
disseminated under subsection (1), at a minimum, all of the
following:
(a) Information describing the use, safety, efficacy, and
availability of emergency contraceptives.
(b) A recommendation regarding the use of emergency
contraceptives in specific, appropriate cases.
(c) Information explaining how to obtain additional copies of
the information for distribution to the patients of the health care
professionals and health facilities or agencies.
