119-hres453

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 453 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 453

 Designating a day in May 2025, as ``Disability Reproductive Equity 
 Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 29, 2025

 Ms. Pressley (for herself, Ms. Simon, Ms. Escobar, and Mrs. Ramirez) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
 on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Designating a day in May 2025, as ``Disability Reproductive Equity 
 Day''.

Whereas, in the United States, there are approximately 1 in 4 adults with 
 disabilities, 1 in 10 people with disabilities who are able to become 
 pregnant, and approximately 4,100,000 parents with disabilities;
Whereas this country has witnessed a long history of reproductive coercion 
 impacting people with disabilities, including through the discriminatory 
 Supreme Court decision Buck v. Bell, 274 U.S. 200

    (1927) , which upheld 
 State laws authorizing involuntary sterilization of people with 
 disabilities and which has never been overturned;
Whereas 31 States and Washington, DC currently have laws explicitly allowing the 
 forced sterilization of people with disabilities;
Whereas people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in 
 congregate care facilities are at an increased risk of physical and 
 sexual abuse, and the majority of these abuses go unreported;
Whereas women with disabilities are almost twice as likely as women without 
 disabilities to experience sexual violence in their lifetime;
Whereas people with disabilities face unique barriers when accessing 
 reproductive health care and exercising their reproductive and sexual 
 health, autonomy, and freedom, including--

    (1) harmful stereotypes about, and attitudes towards, people with 
disabilities;

    (2) legal barriers and lack of consent due to guardianship;

    (3) financial barriers;

    (4) language and communication barriers;

    (5) delays in receiving preventative services;

    (6) a lack of accessible health care facilities, medical diagnostic 
equipment, and travel; and

    (7) a lack of health care providers with training on, and knowledge of, 
the needs of people with disabilities receiving reproductive health care;

Whereas people with and without disabilities want children at the same 
 frequency, but people with disabilities are less likely to receive 
 contraception counseling and timely prenatal care, experience a higher 
 rate of sterilization, and are at a greater risk for adverse pregnancy 
 outcomes;
Whereas an ongoing legacy of reproductive oppression of people with 
 disabilities, especially women with disabilities, people of color with 
 disabilities, people with disabilities with low incomes, and LGBTQI+ 
 people with disabilities, has deprived many of their reproductive 
 autonomy;
Whereas nearly 3 years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 
 113

    (1973) in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 142 S. Ct. 
 2228

    (2022) , nearly 3,000,000 reproductive-aged women with disabilities 
 live in States that have, or are likely to have, abortion bans;
Whereas State laws and court decisions in at least 21 States have restricted 
 access to reproductive health care, including abortion care, 
 disproportionally harming people who already face barriers to 
 reproductive health care, including people with disabilities;
Whereas 

section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), titles II 
 and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 
 et seq.; 42 U.S.C. 12181 et seq.), and 

section 1557 of the Patient 
 Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18116) prohibit 
 discrimination against people with disabilities and provide them with 
 the right to equitably access and receive health care; and
Whereas all people, including people with disabilities, have the right to decide 
 if, when, and how to start and raise a family: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) designates ``Disability Reproductive Equity Day'' to 
 support and bring awareness to the right of people with 
 disabilities to reproductive and sexual health, autonomy, and 
 freedom;

    (2) pledges to advance the right of people with 
 disabilities to reproductive and sexual health, autonomy, and 
 freedom; and

    (3) calls on the President to continue to fulfill the 
 promise of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with 
 Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Patient Protection and 
 Affordable Care Act to support, bolster, and protect the right 
 of people with disabilities to reproductive and sexual health, 
 autonomy, and freedom.
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