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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | July 1, 2022 03:41 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Danielle Friel Otten and Rep. Liz Hanbidge |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Reproductive Rights Amendment |
| For almost fifty years, Roe v. Wade provided Americans assurance of reproductive freedoms, rooted in the right to privacy. However, with the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn this precedent, Americans are no longer guaranteed those same rights to reproductive freedom and privacy under the U.S. Constitution. As it stands, the protection of these freedoms is left to the individual states. While abortion and reproductive care remain legal for now in Pennsylvania, the court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson makes it imperative that we explicitly enshrine Pennsylvanians’ right to privacy and bodily autonomy. We are proposing an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that will reaffirm and protect every Pennsylvanian’s right to privacy and ensure that the state shall not deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate personal decisions. This amendment would ensure that every individual has a right of privacy with respect to personal, sexual, and reproductive healthcare decisions, including the right to choose or refuse an abortion, the right to choose or refuse contraceptives, and the right to choose or refuse fertility care, all without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, or relationship status. Bodily autonomy and control over reproductive healthcare are central to individual freedom, liberty, health, and economic opportunity. Decisions about a pregnancy belong to the pregnant person, not their state legislature. Please support this legislation and join us in affirming and securing Pennsylvanians’ constitutional right to abortion, reproductive healthcare, and privacy. |
Introduced as HB2817