Gillibrand, Colleagues Introduce Bill To Expand Service Members’ Access To Reproductive Health Care

Gillibrand, Colleagues Introduce Bill To Expand Service Members' Access To Reproductive Health Care

May 19, 2026

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), reintroduced legislation to guarantee service members access to reproductive health care wherever they are stationed. The Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health (MARCH) for Military Servicemembers Act would allow military medical treatment facilities to provide abortion services and for the Department of Defense to cover associated costs, ensuring that service members can access the care they need safely and legally. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6) leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

"Our service members protect our freedoms every single day, and we have a duty to protect theirs in return," said Senator Gillibrand. "Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, our troops' ability to receive reproductive health services now depends on where the military sends them instead of their own health care needs. That is an affront to their civil liberties and a barrier to military readiness. The MARCH for Military Servicemembers Act would correct this injustice, allowing women in our armed forces to access the full range of reproductive care at military facilities. I am proud to reintroduce this bill and will always fight to protect women's bodily autonomy."

"This legislation will provide our servicemembers with access to safe, reliable reproductive healthcare - a right that should be available to all Americans," said Senator Blumenthal. "Those in uniform fighting to defend and uphold our freedoms deserve the freedom to make their own choices about their own bodies. As courts and state legislatures across the country roll back and eliminate access to abortion, this measure safeguards against harmful restrictions and obstacles standing between providers and patients. I'm proud to join my colleagues in this urgent effort."

"For too long, servicemembers' access to reproductive healthcare depended on where they were stationed, not on their healthcare needs. Our servicemembers willingly serve wherever they are ordered around the world-with little to no say where- often leaving their families behind and risking their lives in defense of our country. We have a responsibility to protect their right to bodily autonomy," said Senator Hirono. "This legislation will ensure that the full range of reproductive services are available at military facilities to ensure that all servicewomen can get the care they need."

"No one should be denied access to safe reproductive health care, including those who bravely volunteer to serve our country," said Senator Booker. "This legislation would ensure that service members and their families have the fundamental freedom to make their own health care decisions and receive the comprehensive care they deserve."

"Service members put everything on the line to defend our liberties-it's unacceptable that women in the military don't have the freedom to make health care decisions about their own bodies," said Senator Shaheen. "In the years since Roe v. Wade was reversed by the Supreme Court, access to abortion care continues to face relentless attacks. It's critical that Congress take this important step to safeguard the full range of reproductive health care for service members."

"I hear my Republican colleagues talk about how much they trust our service members with making decisions that protect the lives of their fellow service members and ultimately the lives of all Americans, yet many of those same colleagues believe that we cannot trust service members and their families to decide if, how, and when to have children. That is hypocrisy in its highest form," said Rep. Chrissy Houlahan. "Access to all forms of health care, including abortion, in the military is about freedom - our military families sacrifice so much for us, yet too many of my colleagues have decided that members of our armed forces should not have something as fundamental as bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom."

"It is past time for Congress to pass legislation to ensure access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care, for all servicemembers and their families. We're proud to endorse the MARCH Act and thank Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman Houlahan for their leadership on this vital legislation," said Daria Neal, Senior Director of U.S. Policy & Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

"Service members and veterans were promised comprehensive health care in exchange for their brave service. Instead of honoring that commitment, Donald Trump and his allies have taken away vital reproductive health care from military families, which endangers their health and safety," said Jackii Wang, senior legislative analyst at NWLC Action Fund. "Congress has a responsibility to ensure that military members receive the best medical care, including abortion care. We want to thank Senator Gillibrand and Representative Houlahan for introducing the MARCH Act, which would remove the cruel ban on abortion care for service members and their loved ones."

"As an organization dedicated to reproductive well-being, we applaud Senator Gillibrand and Congressional champions for reintroducing the Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health (MARCH) for Military Servicemembers Act. Our service members put their lives on the line for our country and deserve access to the full range of reproductive care, including abortion care. This legislation is a step towards ensuring that the freedom to make our own decisions about our bodies, lives, and futures includes our military service members," said Rachel Fey, Interim Co-CEO & Vice President for Policy & Strategic Partnerships at Power to Decide.

"We thank Senator Gillibrand for reintroducing the MARCH Act and for her continued commitment to doing right by the people who serve this country. Service members put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms-yet they are denied those freedoms, including access to abortion care through military insurance and facilities. The Senate must pass the MARCH Act and make clear that no one who serves this country should have to fight for the basic health care they deserve," said Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju.

The MARCH for Military Servicemembers Act is endorsed by a number of reproductive rights, women's rights, and military service member organizations. These include the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Center for Reproductive Rights, National Women's Law Center, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Power to Decide, Reproductive Freedom for All, American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), VoteVets, Minority Veterans of America, and the National Council of Jewish Women.

Full text of the bill can be found here.

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