Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SB19 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	SB19INTRODUCED
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3	3	SB19
4	4	ENL4C29-1
5	5	By Senator Coleman
6	6	RFD: Judiciary
7	7	First Read: 04-Feb-25
8	8	PFD: 19-Nov-24
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14	14	6 ENL4C29-1 10/24/2024 JC (L)tgw 2024-2779
15	15	Page 1
16	16	PFD: 19-Nov-24
17	17	SYNOPSIS:
18	18	Under existing Alabama law, there is no explicit
19	19	recognition of the right to distribute and use
20	20	contraceptives.
21	21	This bill would recognize that individuals have
22	22	the right to engage in contraception and that health
23	23	care providers have the right to both dispense
24	24	contraceptive devices and provide information about
25	25	their use.
26	26	This bill would further provide for enforcement
27	27	of these rights by permitting the Attorney General,
28	28	health care providers, and individuals to bring a civil
29	29	suit to enjoin the enforcement of any law, rule, or
30	30	policy that prohibits or interferes with the
31	31	distribution and use of contraceptives. This bill would
32	32	also provide for defenses to those claims.
33	33	A BILL
34	34	TO BE ENTITLED
35	35	AN ACT
36	36	Relating to contraception; to provide that individuals
37	37	have the right to use contraception and that health care
38	38	providers have the right to dispense contraceptive devices
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66	66	28 SB19 INTRODUCED
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68	68	providers have the right to dispense contraceptive devices
69	69	that have been approved by the federal Food and Drug
70	70	Administration; to prohibit the state and political
71	71	subdivisions from enforcing any law that would interfere with
72	72	the distribution and use of contraceptives; and to further
73	73	provide for a civil cause of action by the Attorney General,
74	74	health care providers, and consumers to enforce this
75	75	act.
76	76	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
77	77	Section 1. For the purposes of this act, the following
78	78	terms have the following meanings:
79	79	(1) CONTRACEPTION. Any action taken to prevent
80	80	pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives or
81	81	sterilization procedures.
82	82	(2) CONTRACEPTIVE. Any drug, device, biological
83	83	product, or method that is intended for use in the prevention
84	84	of pregnancy, whether specifically intended to prevent
85	85	pregnancy or for other health needs, that is legally marketed
86	86	under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, including oral
87	87	contraceptives, long-acting reversible contraceptives such as
88	88	intrauterine devices and hormonal contraceptive implants,
89	89	emergency contraceptives, internal and external condoms,
90	90	injectables, vaginal barrier methods, transdermal patches, and
91	91	vaginal rings.
92	92	(3) HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. A person engaged in providing
93	93	health care which dispenses legally marketed contraceptives to
94	94	individuals. The term includes:
95	95	a. A physician, physician assistant, certified nurse
96	96	practitioner, or a pharmacist licensed pursuant to Title 34,
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126	126	practitioner, or a pharmacist licensed pursuant to Title 34,
127	127	Code of Alabama 1975.
128	128	b. A hospital, clinic, emergency center, reproductive
129	129	health service, or other health care institution or service
130	130	licensed pursuant to Title 22, Code of Alabama 1975, or a
131	131	pharmacy.
132	132	Section 2. (a) An individual who resides in the State
133	133	of Alabama shall have the right to obtain contraceptives and
134	134	to engage in contraception. A health care provider shall have
135	135	the right to dispense contraceptives and provide information
136	136	about contraception.
137	137	(b) The rights provided for in subsection (a) may not
138	138	be infringed upon by any law, rule, or policy that expressly
139	139	limits, delays, or impedes access to contraceptives or
140	140	information about contraception.
141	141	Section 3. (a) The state, any department, agency, or
142	142	instrumentality of the same, or any political subdivision of
143	143	the state, may not implement, administer, or enforce any law,
144	144	rule, or policy that has the effect of any of the following:
145	145	(1) Prohibiting or restricting the sale, provision, or
146	146	use of any contraceptive that has been approved by the U.S.
147	147	Food and Drug Administration for contraception.
148	148	(2) Prohibiting or restricting any health care provider
149	149	from aiding an individual in obtaining or using any
150	150	contraceptive approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
151	151	Administration.
152	152	(3) Exempting any contraceptive approved by the U.S.
153	153	Food and Drug Administration from any other generally
154	154	applicable law in a way that would make it more difficult to
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184	184	applicable law in a way that would make it more difficult to
185	185	sell, dispense, obtain, or use the contraceptive.
186	186	(b) Any individual or entity that is subject to a law,
187	187	rule, or policy that violates this act may assert this section
188	188	as a defense in any action to enforce the law, rule, or policy
189	189	against the individual or entity.
190	190	Section 4. (a) The Attorney General may commence a
191	191	civil action in the circuit court for injunctive relief
192	192	against any person that implements, administers, or enforces
193	193	any law, rule, or policy that violates, or that has the effect
194	194	of violating, this act.
195	195	(b)(1) Any health care provider or individual adversely
196	196	affected by a violation of this act may commence a civil
197	197	action in circuit court for injunctive relief against any
198	198	person that implements, administers, or enforces any law,
199	199	rule, or policy that violates, or that has the effect of
200	200	violating, this act.
201	201	(2) A health care provider may commence a civil action
202	202	on the health care provider's behalf, or on behalf of the
203	203	health care provider's patients or customers who are or who
204	204	may be adversely affected by a violation of this act.
205	205	(c)(1) In any action commenced under this section, a
206	206	party alleged to implement, administer, or enforce a law,
207	207	rule, or policy in violation of this act may assert one of the
208	208	following defenses:
209	209	a. The law, rule, or policy significantly advances the
210	210	safety of contraceptives, contraception, or the quality of
211	211	information about contraceptives, or the health of users, in a
212	212	way that cannot be advanced by an alternative measure or
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242	242	way that cannot be advanced by an alternative measure or
243	243	action that is less restrictive.
244	244	b. The law, rule, or policy that is being applied to a
245	245	contraceptive or contraception is also being applied to other
246	246	medically similar drugs, devices, biological products, or
247	247	methods.
248	248	(2) A defense asserted under subdivision (1) must be
249	249	established by clear and convincing evidence in order to bar a
250	250	a claim brought under this section.
251	251	Section 5. This act shall become effective on October
252	252	1, 2025.
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