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Sa  Research Service
FY2023 NDAA: Military Abortion Policies
Updated November 9, 2022
Background
The June 24, 2022, Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women 's Health, which overturned Roe
v. Wade and allowed states to restrict abortion access, raised questions from some Members of Congress
about military personnel and family member access to abortion services when assigned to installations in
such juris dictions. While servicemembers can generally submit assignment preferences, Department of
Defense (DOD) policy dictates that the primary assignment consideration is current qualifications and
the ability to fill a valid requirement. Commanders may approve exceptions in certain instances (e.g.,
personal hardships).
Title 10, Section 1093 of the United States Code (U.S.C.), prohibits DOD from using funds or facilities to
perform an abortion unless the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest, or the life of the mother would be
endangered if the fetus were carried to term. On June 28, 2022, DOD issued a memorandum stating that
the Dobbs decision does not prohibit the Department from continuing to perform covered abortions .
DOD reports that since 2016 it performed fewer than 100 covered abortions in military medical facilities.
Abortions that do not meet these criteria are considered noncovered abortions. Federal regulations and
TRICARE policies also prohibit abortion counseling, referral, preparation, and follow-up care for
noncovered abortions. These services are not available in military treatment facilities.
The U. S. Military Healthcare System serves about 1.62 million women of reproductive age (15-45),
including servicemembers, retirees, and their dependents. DOD reports that unintended pregnancies are
50% higher for active-duty women than their civilian counterparts. As of July 31, 2022, about 46,000
active-duty women and 75,000 reserve component women were assigned to states with laws that ban or
restrict abortion beyond certain gestational age (Figure 1).
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN11960
CRS INSIGHT
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