Sen. Bradley: Contraception Bill Has Long Odds in State Senate
Calling access to contraception a “settled issue,” Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley said a bill that would allow New Hampshire employers to stop providing health care coverage for birth control on religious grounds is unlikely to pass the Senate in its current form.
The bill would amend a 12-year-old state law that requires insurance companies to pay for contraceptives such as birth control pills, as well as doctor consultations for contraception, if their insurance plans include other drug coverage.
The bill was approved by the Republican-controlled House last week, championed by Speaker William O’Brien, who has said an existing state law that mandates contraception coverage limits religious freedom.
“I’m not in the business of prediction at this point, but I think it’s going to be pretty hard to pass the contraception bill the way it was sent over,” Bradley said on Tuesday during a meeting with the Editorial Board of Foster’s Daily Democrat. “There are some problems in it.”