RELEASE: New report outlines federal and state policy agenda to protect and expand abortion rights

Washington, DC — In recent years, states have increasingly signed hundreds of abortion bans and restrictions that undermine abortion rights and exacerbate inequalities in access to abortion care. But a new administration and Congress elected to office to campaign for abortion rights have an opportunity to reverse that trend. Today, the Women’s Initiative at the Center for American Progress released a new report examining the myriad ways federal and state governments can go on the offensive in the fight to protect and expand abortion rights and equitable access to care for all , among other things by:

• Legal codification of the right to abortion
• Appointment of attorneys with records of abortion rights in the judiciary
• Repeal and ban unnecessary abortion restrictions and government interference
• Make insurance coverage including abortion and abortion affordable for everyone
• Unlocking restrictions on medical abortion and telemedicine to ensure patients can access care safely
• Prevent discrimination against abortion providers and improve training opportunities for culturally competent care
• Prioritizing patient and provider safety, including through the implementation of consumer protection
• Integrating abortion treatment into the full range of reproductive health services

“The constitutional right to abortion has been the law of the country for about half a century, but meaningful access to abortion care remains elusive for millions of Americans—particularly Black, Indigenous and other people of color; LGBTQ people; People with disabilities; and individuals in rural communities,” said Jamille Fields Allsbrook, director of women’s health and rights at CAP and co-author of the report. “With the strong support of the American people, as this report outlines, federal and state governments should make systemic changes to build on these basic legal protections and ensure everyone has access to abortion treatments.”

Read the report, “A Proactive Abortion Agenda: Federal and State Policies To Protect and Expand Access,” by Jamille Fields Allsbrook and Nora Ellmann

For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202-741-6292.