Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney of the Committee on Oversight and Reform Friday introduced the Abortion Care Awareness Act of 2022. This act would create a national public health, education, awareness and outreach campaign to provide accurate information about where and how to obtain abortion care in an attempt to enhance accessibility. The act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services on how to carry out the federal campaign most effectively, and the campaign would be guided by consultations from health care professionals, reproductive rights organizations, local health departments and other appropriate experts.
Maloney stated, “[e]very person in the United States, no matter their zip code, should be able to access accurate information on where and how to obtain abortion care.” Maloney also said the bill “will help ensure that every American can access accurate, comprehensive information to make decisions about the health and economic security of themselves and their families.” More than 35 advocacy organizations, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Physicians for Reproductive Health, have endorsed the bill. Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America Karen Stone voiced that her organization is “grateful” for Maloney’s legislation in a time of “chaos and confusion.”
The proposed law comes four months after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion has now been banned in over a dozen states.