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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 29, 2022 10:13 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Katie J. Muth and Sen. Amanda M. Cappelletti, Sen. Lindsey M. Williams, Sen. Maria Collett, Sen. Judith L. Schwank, Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, Sen. Carolyn T. Comitta |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Pennsylvania Reproductive Freedom Act |
| On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health overruled both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, declaring the U.S. Constitution confers no right to an abortion. In overturning decades of well-established precedent, the Court cleared the way for state lawmakers to ban abortion to the extent allowed by each state’s constitution. Thankfully, Pennsylvania’s constitution already has broad protections for reproductive rights - and abortion remains legal in Pennsylvania. But as we know, these rights are under attack. Soon after Dobbs was decided, Pennsylvania’s anti-abortion lawmakers began the process of stripping these rights from the state constitution. These efforts are intended to eliminate the reproductive rights already protected by our state constitution and clear the way to ban abortion in Pennsylvania. As we have seen in recent weeks, state abortion bans impede access to miscarriage management and treatment for ectopic pregnancy as well as abortion; they also threaten access to reproductive technologies such as IVF. With this fundamental right on the line, it is critical that we assert our commitment to equal access to abortion and the full range of reproductive healthcare for all Pennsylvanians. Although abortion is legal in the Commonwealth, we have an enormously complex and burdensome set of regulations impacting abortion providers and people seeking reproductive healthcare. These restrictions have nothing to do with patient health and safety and are intended to keep abortion out of reach for as many as possible. They have a disproportionate impact on communities historically facing barriers to healthcare, including people of color, young people, immigrants, people in rural areas, and people struggling financially. The U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that the duty to safeguard our existing state constitutional rights to reproductive autonomy rests on our shoulders. As state legislators in Pennsylvania, we are taking that responsibility head on. With continued guidance and input from healthcare stakeholders and the broader reproductive justice community, we will be introducing legislation to repeal provisions in the current law that impose barriers to services and do nothing to promote health and safety. For example, we know that a 24-hour waiting period and state-mandated counseling rife with inaccuracies do not have a place in our healthcare system. We will also move the Abortion Control Act out of the Crimes code and into the Health and Safety code where it belongs. Lastly, we will work with stakeholders to develop legislation that expands access to the full range of reproductive healthcare and reflects Pennsylvania’s commitment to bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. Access to abortion is a fundamental human right, an issue of economic justice, and a matter of public health. Please join us at this crucial moment to safeguard and expand access to abortion and all reproductive health care in the Commonwealth. |