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HR1742FEDERALfiled

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Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act (H.R. 1742)

Original title: Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act

February 27, 2025

military reproductive health abortion leave policy employee benefits privacy

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The Frame

What this does

If passed, this bill would change how military members access and pay for abortion and fertility services by mandating leave approval and government-funded travel reimbursement, regardless of local state restrictions.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Members of the Armed Forces

They would gain a legal right to leave and travel reimbursement for reproductive health services and would no longer be required to disclose the specific medical reason for their leave to commanders.

Military Commanders

They would be required to approve leave requests for reproductive health care without knowing the specific medical procedure and must adhere to new privacy protection requirements.

Department of Defense

The agency would be responsible for funding travel reimbursements and updating internal leave and privacy policies.

What changed

Last recorded activity February 27, 2025.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill proposes new federal policies for military personnel seeking abortion or fertility care. It would require the military to approve leave for these procedures, protect the privacy of members by not requiring disclosure of the specific medical reason to commanders, and provide reimbursement for travel costs if care is not available locally.

Key Facts

The bill mandates that military commanders must approve leave for 'non-covered reproductive health care,' including abortion, classifying it as time-sensitive.
Military members and their dependents are not required to disclose the specific nature of the medical procedure to their commanding officer when requesting leave.
The Department of Defense must reimburse members and their dependents for travel costs, including meals, lodging, and transportation, if the required care is not available near their duty station.
The bill allows for the reimbursement of travel and transportation costs for one or more escorts or attendants if requested by the member or dependent.
The bill requires the Defense Health Agency and commanding officers to protect the privacy of members seeking this care to the greatest extent practicable.
The bill explicitly includes fertility care alongside abortion care in its provisions for leave and privacy protections.
The bill cites concerns regarding military recruitment and retention as a primary motivation for addressing these reproductive health barriers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to tell my commander why I am taking leave for a medical procedure?

No. Under this bill, members and their dependents would not be required to disclose that they are receiving time-sensitive reproductive health care or abortion services to their commanding officer.

Will the military pay for my travel if I need to go to another state for care?

Yes. The bill requires the military to reimburse costs for meals, lodging, and round-trip transportation if the necessary reproductive health care is not available near the member's location.

Does this bill cover fertility treatments?

Yes. The bill includes fertility care in its provisions for leave, privacy, and travel reimbursement.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift in Military Privacy Standards

The bill proposes a significant departure from standard military reporting requirements by explicitly prohibiting the disclosure of specific medical procedures to commanding officers.

Department of Defense Defense Health Agency

Connected Entities

organizationDepartment of Defense“The federal department responsible for implementing the proposed leave and reimb”Map →

organizationDefense Health Agency“The agency tasked with protecting the privacy of members seeking reproductive he”Map →

personMs. Sherrill“Primary sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy90
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment40
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz75
Current news / social attention level

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