# 119-hr-10597: Affordability is Access Act of 2026

119-hr-10597, Affordability is Access Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-31).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10597
- As of: 2026-10-31
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-10597
- Congress: 119
- Title: Affordability is Access Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-24
- Sponsor: Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 41
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-31

## Summary

**This bill would guarantee that *free coverage for FDA‑approved over‑the‑counter contraceptives* is included in group and individual health plans.** It would eliminate cost sharing for OTC birth control and direct federal agencies to align coverage rules with FDA approvals while protecting stronger state laws. - Families and contraceptive users would be able to get FDA‑approved OTC contraceptives without a prescription and without copays or other cost sharing, making short‑term access easier. - People who rely on prescription birth control would see plans required to cover prescription contraceptives, but when multiple therapeutically equivalent products exist plans may cover only one option. - Employers and insurers would have to add OTC contraceptives to plan coverage and follow new agency guidance tying coverage to FDA OTC status. - Retailers would be barred from blocking access to OTC contraceptives or accurate medical information, though they could still decline a sale when a buyer cannot pay.

## Cosponsors (41)

- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10] (D-NJ), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] (D-NY), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] (D-IL), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15] (D-NY), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14] (D-IL), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5] (D-GA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] (D-CT), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39] (D-CA), 2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31] (D-CA), 2026-10-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-6] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] (D-NY), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11] (D-OH), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2] (D-LA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] (D-IL), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (D-NY), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Conaway, Herbert C. [D-NJ-3] (D-NJ), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30] (D-TX), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Friedman, Laura [D-CA-30] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2026-10-29T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Retail access and regulatory protections: benefit, low. If enacted, this bill would bar retailers that stock FDA‑approved OTC contraceptives from interfering with a person's purchase or access to accurate medical information about those products. A retailer could still refuse to provide the product if the person cannot pay directly, through insurance, o…
- No-cost OTC birth control, limited prescriptions: mixed, medium. If enacted, this bill would require many group and individual health plans to cover FDA‑approved over‑the‑counter birth control with no out‑of‑pocket cost. You would not need a prescription to get that coverage. At the same time, plans would be allowed to meet their prescription contraceptive requi…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-10597 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10597)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1589)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10597 (as of 2026-10-31).