Issue Position: A Lifetime of Helping Women

Issue Position

Congresswoman Jackie Speier was sworn into Congress in April of 2008, becoming the 89th woman serving in the House of Representatives and Senate. "We've come a long way," she said at the time, "but there are many miles ahead. After all, here we are in 2008 and 50% of the population accounts for just 16% of Congress."

Record in the California State Legislature

Elected to the California State Assembly in 1986, Jackie Speier was the first member to give birth in office. Then, while pregnant with her second child, her husband was killed in a car accident on his way to work as an emergency room physician. Compounding the tragedy, he had let his life insurance lapse just months earlier. Termed out of office, the widowed mother worked two jobs to support her family. In 1998 she was elected to the state Senate where she served eight years. During her tenure in the state legislature, Jackie Speier shattered all records by authoring over 300 bills that were signed into law by both Democratic and Republican Governors. While her legislation covered many areas, including what was hailed at the time as "The nation's strongest financial privacy law," Jackie Speier championed the causes of California women.

Health

Jackie's record in advancing women's health is too voluminous to list in full. Among her accomplishments are:

·Mandating that health plans cover contraception and osteoporosis screening.

·Creating a check-off box on California tax forms to direct money to breast cancer research.

·Establishing the Office of Women's Health to coordinate women's health projects and serve as a clearing house for information regarding women's health data and programs.

·Guaranteeing women the right to designate their obstetrician-gynecologist as their primary care physician.

·Requiring the inclusion of women and minorities in medical research and mandating research on conditions that are more prevalent in women.

·Prohibiting health plans from imposing co-pays on maternity care that are higher than other co-pays within the plan.

· Expanding prenatal screening to include all tests that meet or exceed the current standard of care as recommended by nationally recognized medical or genetic organizations.

·Providing Medi-Cal coverage for alcohol and drug treatment services to pregnant women

· Establishing the first clinical trial for women with AIDS in 1992.

· Creating the state's Breast and Cervical Cancer screening program for poor women.

· Requiring insurers to cover bone mass measurement technologies to detect osteoporosis.

·Establishing a patient consent process to protect women undergoing fertility treatments.

· Creating the Office of Perinatal Substance Abuse.

Sexual harassment

Jackie's 1992 legislation required employers to educate employees on what constitutes sexual harassment, a description of the internal complaint process and legal remedies available to victims.

Family Law

Jackie's child support recovery law has resulted in the collection of more than $1 billion in delinquent payments by stipulating penalties to include the loss of drivers' and professional licenses and empowering the Franchise Tax Board to seize bank accounts.

Her legislation created a free service to help low-income people filing for divorce. This program is used by nearly 80 percent of Californians who file without an attorney.

Crime

In 1993, an estimated 35% of women entering emergency rooms were victims of domestic violence. Jackie's bill required medical professionals to report suspected domestic violence to authorities.

Battery is a major cause of injury to women. Jackie's bill allowed municipal judges to issue temporary restraining orders and expanded the hours during which a restraining order may be issued.

Jackie authored a bill to eliminate the 10 year statute of limitations for rape and other serious sexual assault crimes.

Her law protected victims of stalking and domestic violence by allowing Highway Patrol and other state police officers to request emergency protective orders.

Consumer Parity

For years, businesses like drycleaners and hair salons charged women more than men for essentially the same service. Jackie Speier's legislation outlawed the practice, requiring that prices be equitable for services that require the same amount of time, materials and expertise.

Reproductive Rights

Jackie's 1994 legislation created the tort of commercial blocking that allowed financial damages to be sought from persons convicted of prohibiting access to abortion clinics.

Her legislation protecting a woman's right to privacy in California pharmacies prohibited pharmacists from charging women exorbitant fees for emergency contraception.

As a state Assemblywoman, in 1991, Jackie Speier carried the resolution urging Congress to rescind an import alert imposed by the FDA on RU-486 (the morning after pill). She also pushed the Department of Health Services to approve the drug for clinical practice.

Equal Rights Amendment

Jackie carried the resolution adopting the Equal Rights Amendment in California.

Business

Jackie's legislation created the California Council to Promote Business Ownership by Women to help women secure capital to start or expand businesses and provide technical assistance.

Education

Her 1993 bill required the state Superintendent of Schools to review and revise all elementary and secondary school policies within the Department of Education to ensure compliance with sex discrimination laws.

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