LEGISLATION

KEEP UP TO DATE ON WOMEN'S HEALTH LEGISLATION

The National Women's Health Information Center

The Federal Government Source for Information on Women's Health

U.S. Office of Health & Human Services / Office on Women's Health

THOMAS for legislative specifics. Search by Act number.

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Note: While Washington is working on challenging reform issues, new legislation has not been active. 

There has - though - been discussion on important issues regarding women's health concerns. 

2009 White House Agenda on Women's Health Care from a Domestic Perspective.


2009 Domestic Perspective from the National Partnership for Women & Children.
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2008 LEGISLATIVE ACTION:

  • Senator Patty Murray introduced the Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2008 "to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes."  The bill calls for a long-term study of the health of women serving in Iraq, an assessment of barriers for women seeking care at Dept. of Veterans Affairs facilities and of the VA's provision of health services to women, training of VA staff on treating women veterans who have experienced sexual trauma or PTSD.  The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs , although it is not clear when the committee will consider the legislation. A companion bill ( HR 4107 ) was introduced in the House last November and was referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

2007 LEGISLATIVE ACTION:

  • Postpartum Depression Measure
    On October 15, 2007 the House approved the Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act (H.R. 20).

             On October 9, 2007 the House passed a resolution (H. Res. 32) regarding how participation,                    recognition & equality of women is crucial to achieving a just, moral, and honorable society.

  •  President Obama's 2007 Position on Women's Health:  Ovarian cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. Because of the lack of early symptoms or a proven screening test, ovarian cancer also has the highest mortality of all cancers of the female reproductive system. President Obama was an original co-sponsor of Johanna's Law, a piece of legislation signed into law in January 2007 that will educate women and increase awareness of ovarian cancer. The President has also supported efforts to combat breast cancer, another leading cause of death among women. He helped pass legislation in the Illinois State Senate to expand insurance coverage for mammograms. (link installed 1.23.2009.)

 

CONTEMPORARY LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

  • Women's Health Office Act of 2005 (S. 569/H. R. 949) which "would require the creation of separate ?Offices of Women?s Health? within the Centers for Disease Control, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the FDA to carry out specified activities relating to the health of women" (GCF, 2005).
  • Environmental Health Research Act of 2005 (S. 1500) which "would require the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to develop multi-disciplinary research centers regarding women?s health and disease prevention" (GCF, 2005).

  • Johanna's Law: The Gynecologic Cancer Education / Awareness Bill (2003) was sponsored with the support of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, in memory of Johanna Silver Gordon.  Ms. Gordon died of ovarian cancer due to the lack of knowledge on behalf of the public, and also many in the medical profession, of the early to moderate stage symptoms.  H. R. 1245 and S. 1172 became a hot topic at the beginning of 2005 when it was "... endorsed by organizations representing over 300,000 physicians, nurses, cancer survivors and women" (Johannaslaw.org. 2005). At present, "More than 240 Members of Congress currently support Johanna's Law" (GCF), 2005). In her testimony before the House Committee on Government Reform's Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, the President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO), Beth Karlan, M.D., stressed, "The paucity of public attention to and discussion about gynecologic cancers is literally killing women in our country."     The Official Site of Johanna's Law in Memoriam of Johanna Silver Gordon.  www.johannaslaw.org

         
  

These are just a few examples of how gynecologic/reproductive and women's health care in general has come under media and public scrutiny, bringing an increased demand for advocacy in the form of government intervention, legislative attention, better review, and doctor/patient relations.  There is a need to be addressed that has been ignored for too long, and it is now recognized that women are dying as a result.   

Karl C. Podratz, MD, PhD, the Chairman of the GCF, calls this:


"A time of burgeoning grass roots activism for increased awareness & understanding about gynecologic cancers, as well as a time of hope

for new methods of detection and prevention"


(GCF, 2005).

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