A Colorado bill aimed at preventing teen pregnancy and keeping kids in school will be heard by the House Appropriations Committee Friday morning.
HB1079 seeks to extend and expand a pilot program known as the teen pregnancy and dropout prevention program. Republican Rep. Don Coram of Montrose co-sponsored the legislation.
Coram says the pilot program has been running for over a decade in Mesa, Montrose and Delta counties.
"It teaches abstinence, but that doesn't always work so we’re also teaching [teens] things they are not learning anywhere else on how to prevent pregnancies and helping those that actually do become pregnant," he says.
Coram says the program has been successful at helping to prevent teen pregnancies and keeping young people in school. And, that’s why he wants to see it expand statewide and have the 10 percent local match provision removed because some counties can’t afford it.
"It’s going to prevent pregnancies," he says. "When you prevent pregnancies you also prevent abortions."
Coram has also co-sponsored a separate bill that would fund a state program to help low-income women access long-term reversible contraception like IUDs. The state credits that program with reducing teen pregnancies and abortions in Colorado.
