Legislation in the House
Two pieces of federal legislation mandating coverage of infertility are currently in house committees.  Both bills, proposed in early August of 1999, are unlikely to leave committee or pass in the current term.  As elections approach and congressmen direct their attention the needs of home constituencies and their re-election campaigns, priority for a bill regarding infertility coverage will be low.  Actions on high-profile topics, including medical errors and gun control, are more likely to gain national attention and bolster ratings at the polls.  However, changes in the party balance after the election may make the passage of legislation more plausible.

• The Family Building Act of 1999, proposed by Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY), would provide a federal mandate for insurance coverage of infertility treatment through changes in the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and chapter 5 of the United States code..  Although proposed coverage is broader than most of the current state mandates, the bill does propose some restrictions.  Women undergoing IVF for a first child would be limited to four treatment cycles, although two more cycles would be allowed if treatment is successful to provide the opportunity for a sibling.  The bill is currently in the House Commerce Committee, the House Committee on Government Reform, and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

 
• H.R. 2774, proposed by Representative Marty Meehan (D-MA), would amend federal civil service law to require all health benefit plans under the federal Employees Health Benefit Program that currently cover obstetrical services to also provide benefits for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including non-experimental ARTs.  The bill is currently in the House Committee on Government reform, within the Subcommittee on Civil Service.

• The Fair Access to Infertility Treatment and Hope Act of 2000, proposed by Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) would require all national health plans, including those for federal employees, to provide coverage for infertility services.  The bill is currently in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.