On Monday, Rep. Joyce “Jay” McCreight, a new representative from Harpswell, introduced the bill LD 319: An Act to Strengthen the Economic Stability of Qualified Maine Citizens by Expanding Coverage of Reproductive Health Care and Family Services. The bill title is long, but the goal of the bill is simple. If passed, LD 319 will allow uninsured, under-insured, and low-income women to access important preventative health care services such as cancer screenings, annual exams, Pap tests, birth control, and STD testing. The bill would provide publicly funded preventative health care to adults who are at or below 209% of the federal poverty level, which translates into approximately $23,000/year for a household of one.

When women have the ability to take control of their reproductive lives, they are able to make better decisions about their overall health, their families, and their economic futures. In a press statement introducing the bill, McCreight acknowledged that, “For many women, family planning clinics are the only accessible sources of health care. This legislation will help women get the critical care they need.” The bill co-sponsor, Rep. Sara Gideon (D-Freeport), highlighted the crucial connections between economic security and reproductive health care: “For women, reproductive health and access to affordable care are essential to their economic security. This bill strengthens families by ensuring low-income women and teens can make the best possible decisions about their health.”

LD 319 is very similar to LD 1247, An Act To Expand Coverage of Family Planning Services. LD 1247 successfully passed through both legislative houses during the last legislative session in 2014. Unfortunately, Governor LePage vetoed the bill and enough votes weren’t secured to override the veto.