{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4250", "Larsen and Jacobs Applaud Start of Pilot Program Covering Cost of Freezing Eggs or Sperm for Servicemembers", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "WA", "Rick Larsen", "L000560", "larsen.house.gov", "larsen", "https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Today, U.S. Representatives Rick Larsen (D, WA-02) and Sara Jacobs (D, CA-51) released the following statement on the news that their pilot program to cover the cost of servicemembers freezing their sperm or eggs will start in September. This is the first federally funded program to cover sperm and egg freezing costs.\n\n\u201cAfter nearly a decade of advocacy, starting next month servicemembers will be eligible to freeze their eggs or sperm before hazardous missions,\u201d said the Members. \u201cNo one should be forced to choose between serving their country and starting their family. This program\u2019s launch is an important step toward guaranteeing that members of the military have the support they need to have children.\u201d\n\nLast week, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced that a three-year gamete cryopreservation pilot program will begin on September 14, 2026. The program will reimburse up to $500 annually for sperm cryopreservation and $10,000 for egg freezing. Servicemembers eligible for the program include those who have received orders for duty in a hazardous location, are likely to receive such orders in the next 120 days or will be geographically separated from their partner for 180 days or more.\n\nRep. Larsen initially proposed this program in 2017. In 2024, Rep. Larsen worked with Rep. Jacobs to secure language in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA) requiring DoD to begin the gamete cryopreservation pilot program.\n\nLarsen and Jacobs Fight for Reproductive Health Care for Servicemembers\n\nLast August, Reps. Larsen and Jacobs reintroduced their Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2025 with Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), which is included in the Right to IVF Act. This comprehensive legislation would expand the fertility treatments and family-building services that are covered under servicemembers\u2019 and veterans\u2019 health care to include\u2014among other things\u2014in vitro fertilization (IVF) and adoption assistance, for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance, and the option for individuals to freeze their eggs or sperm ahead of deployment to a combat zone.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://larsen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4250"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.323746982961893, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}