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Reproductive Health & Access Act

 

Make the Reproductive Health & Access Act the law in Illinois!

 

 

Why is the Reproductive Health & Access Act (RHAA) Needed?

Because ...


·         A 1975 Illinois law states that when Roe v. Wade is overturned or modified by the U.S. Supreme Court, abortion will again become illegal in Illinois;
·          Some pharmacists and pharmacies refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control or emergency contraception “Plan B”;
·          Illinois law prevents poor women and state employees from using their health care insurance plans to pay for basic reproductive health care services;
·          Many Illinois students are forced to participate in religiously based and faulty “abstinence only until marriage” sexuality education that endangers the health and safety of young people;
·         Decisions about abortion and birth control should be private – made between a woman and her doctor, not politicians! 


RHAA Sponsors are State Representatives*:

Arroyo (D) Jakobsson (D)
Beaubien (R) Jefferson (D)
Berrios (D) Harris (D)
Boland (D) Hernandez (D)
Burke (D) Howard (D)
Burns (D) Jakobsson (D)
Collins (D) Jefferson (D)
Coulson (R) Lang (D)
Currie (D) May (D)
Davis, M. (D) Mell (D)
Davis, W. (D) Mendoza (D)
Dunkin (D) Miller (D)
Feigenholtz(D) Mulligan (R)
Ford (D) Nekritz (D)
Franks (D) Osterman (D)
Fritchey (D) Riley (D)
Golar (D) Rita (D)
Graham (D) Ryg (D)
Hamos (D) Soto (D)
Harris (D) Turner (D)
Hernandez (D) Yarbrough (D)
Howard (D) (*in formation)

 The Reproductive Health & Access Act protects the right of every woman in Illinois to make her own decisions about abortion, birth control and reproductive health care. The Act addresses the need of individuals to have access to the information they need to make informed decisions. The Act respects the right of individuals to make the personal and private medical decisions which are best for themselves and their families.  
                                                         


The Reproductive Health and Access Act declares:                    
All individuals should have appropriate and necessary access to health care and services as a continuum of choices throughout their reproductive lives, including but not limited to:
Ø  prenatal care
Ø  adoption
Ø  contraceptive care, including timely access to emergency contraception
Ø  screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections
Ø  pregnancy termination
Ø  comprehensive, factual & scientifically based sexuality education 


The Reproductive Health & Access Act ensures choice, opportunity, access and equity by prohibiting government entities from:
Ø  Denying or interfering with an individual’s right to use or refuse contraception
Ø  Denying or interfering with a pregnant woman’s right to bear a child
Ø  Denying or interfering with a pregnant woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy either prior to the viability of the fetus or when the abortion is necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman
Ø  Requiring any woman to terminate pregnancy without her consent
 
The Reproductive Health & Access Act Protects the fundamental rights created by Roe v. Wade. 
Protects individuals from financial discrimination by ensuring that individuals eligible for state Medicaid assistance, or other state medical assistance, receive financial assistance for reproductive health care at least to the same extent as other comparable services.
Protects women’s health and safety by requiring that pregnancy terminations be performed in accordance with accepted standards of medical practice, by the method that, in the clinical judgment of the attending medical professional, will best serve the interests of the pregnant patient. 
Protects young women’s and men’s health by requiring that Illinois public schools offer medically accurate, age appropriate, comprehensive sex education. 
Protects both patients and health care professionals by allowing individual health care professionals to object to providing certain services while still ensuring that patients receive timely, accurate and complete information about the patient’s care options.


 The following organizations support The RHAA*:   
AIDS Foundation of Chicago Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition
American Academy of Pediatrics IL Society for Advanced Practice Nursing
American Association of University Women Independent Voters of Illinois
ACLU of Illinois League of Women Voters of Illinois
Asian Human Services McHenry County Citizens for Choice
Black Women for Reproductive Justice Midwest Access Project
Chicago Abortion Fund Mujeres Latinas en Acción
Chicago Foundation for Women NASW – IL Chapter
Chicago Girls Coalition National Council of Jewish Women
Chicago Women’s Health Center Northwest Suburban Chapter of NOW
Citizen Action/Illinois Open Door Clinic
CAVDA – Citizens AIDS Project Pediatric AIDS Chicago
DuPage Human Services Federation Personal PAC
The Hope Clinic for Women Physicians for Reproductive Health
Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Illinois Choice Action Team Protestants for the Common Good
Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Illinois NOW (*in formation)


How Can I Help Personal PAC to Ensure that HB 2354 Becomes the Law in Illinois?
It takes 60 votes in the House and 30 votes in the Senate to pass a bill in the Illinois Legislature. In order to pass the RHAA, we need every pro-choice person in Illinois to be involved in the contacting legislators about the importance of this bill. It needs to be a top priority in the voting booth and in Springfield. Every one of us is the difference between full reproductive health care in Illinois or a continuation of the successful right-wing attacks on abortion rights, birth control, emergency contraception and quality sex education.  


Click HERE to view this page as a PDF.

For more information contact:
Personal PAC
134 N. LaSalle St., Ste. 2040
Chicago, IL   60602
312.422-0005
www.personalpac.org

 

 

 
 
Personal PAC     tel: (312) 422-0005    fax: (312) 422-0122