New Jersey may make contraception easier for women to get

Women who rely on prescribed birth control would be able to obtain a six-month supply at once -- at least twice as long as most insurance companies allow, under a bill the state Senate approved Thursday in Trenton.

Having already passed the Assembly during the summer, the bill now goes to Gov. Chris Christie's desk.

He's likely to sign it into law because he vetoed an earlier version that would have permitted a 12-month supply of pills or skin patches. The Legislature agreed to his terms: a six-month compromise.

"The purpose of this bill is to increase access to birth control and by providing this six-month supply we will ensure that women can plan longer-term. Women today are often busy with work and managing child care, which makes picking up a monthly prescription impractical," Sen. Shirley Turner D-Mercer, the bill's sponsor.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/12/nj_may_make_contraception_easier_to_get.html