September 24, 2026
Mrs. Hinson (for herself, Ms. Malliotakis, and Mrs. Bice) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to eligible health centers to provide patient access to long-acting reversible contraception, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the LARC Access Expansion Act
.
Sec. 2. Grants to eligible health centers to provide patient access to long-acting reversible contraception
(a) In general
Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating subsections (k) through (r) as subsections (m) through (t), respectively; and
(2)
by inserting after subsection (j) the following:
(k) Grants for providing patient access to long-Acting reversible contraception
(1) Awards
The Secretary may award grants to eligible health centers to provide patient access to LARCs.
(2) Use of funds
A grant under paragraph (1) shall be used—
(A)
to provide education or training on the provision of a LARC to at least two full-time health care professionals; and
(B)
to procure and maintain an inventory of LARCs to provide for same-day insertion.
(3) Limitation
No funds provided through a grant under this subsection may be used with respect to long-acting reversible contraception intended for use as emergency contraception.
(4) Definitions
In this subsection—
(A)
The term eligible health center means a health center that—
(i)
serves—
(I)
an area with one or more populations that have a high rate of infant mortality, or maternal morbidity and mortality;
(II)
a medically underserved population;
(III)
a health professional shortage area designated under section 332; or
(IV)
a maternity care health professional target area identified under section 332(k);
(ii)
does not receive funds under title X; and
(iii)
certifies that, during the period of receiving assistance under this subsection, the health center will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion.
(B)
The term LARC means long-acting reversible contraception.
(b) Conforming changes
Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (c)(3)(B), by striking subsection (k)(3)(J)
and inserting subsection (m)(3)(J)
;
(2)
in subsections (e)(1)(B), by striking subsection (k)(3)
each place it appears and inserting subsection (m)(3)
;
(3)
in subsection (m)(3)(H), as so redesignated, by striking or (p)
and inserting or (r)
;
(4)
in subsection (n), as so redesignated—
(A)
by striking subsection (k)(3)
and inserting subsection (m)(3)
; and
(B)
by striking subsection (m)
and inserting subsection (o)
;
(5)
in subsection (r), as so redesignated, by striking (k)(3)(G)
and inserting (m)(3)(G)
; and
(6)
in subsection (t), as so redesignated—
(A)
in paragraph (2)(A)—
(i)
by striking (k)(3)
and inserting (m)(3)
; and
(ii)
by striking (k)(3)(H)
and inserting (m)(3)(H)
; and
(B)
in paragraph (3)(I), by striking subsection (q)(4)
and inserting subsection (s)(4)
.
Sec. 3. Demonstration program for health centers for increasing access to certain contraceptive methods
Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b), as amended by section 2 of this Act, is further amended by inserting after subsection (k) the following new subsection:
(l) Demonstration program for health centers for increasing access to certain contraceptive methods
(1) Awards
The Secretary may award grant funds to eligible health centers to use telehealth capabilities to increase women’s access to certain contraceptive methods and address known barriers to such access.
(2) Eligible health centers
To be eligible to seek a grant under this subsection, a health center shall—
(A)
not be receiving any funds under title X;
(B)
be receiving funds under other provisions of this section; and
(C)
certify that, during the period of receiving assistance under this subsection, the health center will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion.
(3) Use of funds
(A) In general
An eligible health center receiving grant funds under paragraph (1) shall use such funds to establish a consortium, composed of such entities as the Secretary may specify, to coordinate the voluntary provision of long-acting reversible contraception at community clinics through telehealth resources—
(i)
to increase women’s access to the full range of long-acting reversible contraception at community clinics, including for women residing in rural counties or rural census tracts in urban counties as designated by the Secretary; and
(ii)
to provide patient consultations prior to prescribing a form of long-acting reversible contraception and making a referral to a physician to provide such contraception.
(B) Composition of consortium
The voluntary consortium under subparagraph (A)—
(i)
shall be composed of such entities as the Secretary determines appropriate; and
(ii)
may include rural hospitals; rural community-based ambulatory patient care centers (including rural health clinics); health centers operated by an Indian Tribe, Tribal organization, or urban Indian organization; and graduate medical education consortia.
(4) Limitation
No funds provided through a grant under this subsection may be used with respect to long-acting reversible contraception intended for use as emergency contraception.