Gov. David Ige on Tuesday signed into law a bill requiring insurers cover a year’s worth of birth control at one time.
Gov. David Ige on Tuesday signed into law a bill requiring insurers cover a year’s worth of birth control at one time.
The signing of Senate Bill 2319, which the governor’s office touted as “a groundbreaking bill that will dramatically expand access to birth control in Hawaii,” makes Hawaii the first state in the nation to require all public and private insurance providers to cover 12 months of birth control at a time, meaning that women will only have to pick up their prescription once a year.
Consistent access to birth control gives women the ability to control when and if they have children, giving them more career and education opportunities, healthier pregnancies, and making them less likely to depend on government programs, according to a statement from Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii. Today, most women have to refill their birth control every month, which is a burden for many and leads to inconsistent use, and accounts for 43 percent of all unintended pregnancies.
In addition, women without reliable access to transportation or living in rural areas have more barriers to dependable access to birth control, leaving them at a greater risk for unintended pregnancies.
By requiring that women get 12 months of birth control at a time, Hawaii will take a substantial step towards reducing barriers to birth control access and decreasing unintended pregnancies, according to PPVNH.
“We are proud to support this commonsense solution to reduce barriers to birth control in Hawaii. At a time when politicians nationwide are chipping away at reproductive health care access, Hawaii is bucking the trend and setting a confident example of what states can do to actually improve access. Everyone deserves affordable and accessible birth control that works for us, regardless of income or type of insurance,” said Laurie Field, Hawaii Legislative Director for Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii. “We thank Governor Ige and the sponsors of SB 2319 for taking a stand on reproductive health and rights in Hawaii.”
Gov. David Ige also signed into law Tuesday:
Here is a complete list of bills that were signed by Gov. Ige during bill signing ceremonies on July 5, 2016:
HB 1578 Relating to Urn Theft: Establishes theft of an urn as a class C felony
HB 1753 Relating to Mopeds: Requires registration, inspections and number plates for mopeds
HB 1807 Relating to Military Service: Authorizes reserve and National Guard members to receive paid military leave while on inactive-duty training
SB 2652 Relating to Taxation – Locally Produced Renewable Energy: Establishes a 5-year renewable fuels production tax credit
HB 1902 Relating to Sex Trafficking; Prostitution: Creates the offense of sex trafficking where a person advances prostitution by the use of force, threat, fraud or intimidation or where a minor is prostituted. Classifies sex trafficking as a violent crime and a class A felony.
HB 1907 Relating to Sexual Assault: Requires all law enforcement agencies and departments charged with maintenance, storage and preservation of sexual assault evidence collection kits to conduct an inventory of all stored kits and report to the Attorney General. The AG is then required to report to the Legislature.
HB 1897 Relating to Insurance Coverage of Health Screenings: Ensures that all insurers in the state provide insurance coverage for sexually transmitted disease screenings, including HIV and AIDS.
SB 2317 Relating to Health: Requires and appropriates funds for the Department of Health to conduct child death reviews, implement a program to perform maternal death reviews, and submit annual reports to the Legislature.
HB 2772 Relating to the University of Hawai‘i: Adopts the preliminary recommendation of the affirmative consent task force, including requiring the University of Hawai‘i to train employees and students on sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking policies.
HB 2489 Relating to the Department of Defense: Appropriates funds for a veterans’ services counselor IV position within the office of Veterans’ Services to address problems and needs of all veterans, with a primary focus on female veterans.
HB 1041 Relating to Hunting: Establishes a statewide Game Management
Advisory Commission to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Land and Natural Resources for policies and criteria regarding public hunting.
SB 2904 Relating to Aquatic Mitigation Banks: Authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to establish and operate aquatic mitigation banks to restore, enhance or preserve aquatic habitats or resources.