{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5138-114/featured_over-the-counter-contraceptives-act-of-2016-1476320318.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5138-114/featured_large_over-the-counter-contraceptives-act-of-2016-1476320318.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr5138-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2016-04-29","title_override":"Speeding Up FDA Reviews for Over-the-Counter Contraceptives","summary_override":"

This bill would require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prioritize review of over-the-counter contraceptives that would be available to individuals age 18 or older without a prescription. It would apply to supplemental drug applications, which are used to change the approved use of a drug.

The FDA would also waive user fees for related supplemental drug applications, and any drug that’s eligible for priority review must be available as a prescription drug for individuals under age 18.

Provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be repealed so that health savings accounts and health flexible spending accounts can be used to pay for medicine without a prescription. Additionally, the limit on salary reduction contributions under a cafeteria plan would be eliminated. Both reforms would be effective as if the provisions had never been enacted in the first place.

","official_title":"To allow women greater access to safe and effective contraception.","short_title":"Over-The-Counter Contraceptives Act of 2016","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Over-The-Counter Contraceptives Act of 2016\n\nThis bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prioritize review of supplemental drug applications (applications to modify the approved use of a drug) for contraceptive drugs intended for routine use that would be available to individuals aged 18 and older without a prescription. The FDA must waive user fees for such supplemental drug applications. Any drug that is eligible for this priority review must be a prescription drug for individuals under age 18.\n\nThis bill repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to allow health savings accounts and health flexible spending accounts (HFSAs) to be used to pay for medicine without a prescription and to remove the limit on salary reduction contributions to a HFSA under a cafeteria plan, effective as if the provisions had never been enacted.","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Individuals over age 18 who would like to buy a contraceptive over-the-counter and under age 18 who would get them as prescription drugs; and the FDA.","argument_for":"The FDA should prioritize these applications so that more safe, affordable contraception can be available to consumers over-the-counter without the need for a prescription.","argument_against":"The FDA shouldn’t prioritize applications for contraceptives that would be available over-the-counter over more critical medications that have fewer alternatives.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr5138-114","bill_id":"hr5138-114","formal_id":"H.R. 5138","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2016-05-12T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/5138","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr5138ih/html/BILLS-114hr5138ih.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr5138-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/5138/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2016-04-29","related_bill_ids":["s1438-114"],"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":118,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Energy and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Health","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF14","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Ways and Means","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Health","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM02","subcommittee":true}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr5138-114","details":"/api/bills/hr5138-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr5138-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr5138-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr5138-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":6,"slug":"hr5138-114-over-the-counter-contraceptives-act-of-2016","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":1217,"yea_vote_count":906,"nay_vote_count":305,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["health"],"issue_ids":["health"],"sponsor_id":2}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"health","name":"Health","slug":"health","description":"Federal legislation around Health, encompassing: the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Research into diseases (Cancer, HIV/Aids, Ebola), Drug safety, Hospital care and prescription drugs.","page_title":"Health Related US Federal legislation, including Medicare, ACA, and research - 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Speeding Up FDA Reviews for Over-the-Counter Contraceptives