Virginia Secures Birth Control Access as Other Southern States Eye Abortion Pill Manufacturers

Virginia’s Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill Wednesday that ensures the right to contraception in the commonwealth — legislation that cleared the General Assembly in previous sessions only to be rejected by her predecessor.

Spanberger also endorsed the Contraception Equity Act, a bill that requires health insurers to cover prescription and over-the-counter birth control without any copayments for patients, Virginia Mercury reported.

Virginia voters have the chance to solidify the right to contraception, fertility treatments, pregnancy care and abortion during the first and second trimesters in November, when a proposed reproductive rights constitutional amendment is set to appear on the ballot.

Reproductive rights advocates in Georgia are encouraging Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to sign legislation sent to his desk this week that would let pharmacists dispense certain hormonal contraceptives to patients.

“Georgians are already facing the consequences of politicians interfering in our health care, from abortion bans to provider shortages, and we know that expanding access to birth control saves lives,” Alicia Stallworth, Reproductive Freedom for All’s state campaigns director, said in a statement.

The bill cleared the legislature with bipartisan support. GOP Rep. Beth Camp introduced the legislation after her daughter had to wait months to get a birth control prescription refilled, Georgia Recorder reported.

Elsewhere, abortion opponents in Arizona, Tennessee and Mississippi are pushing bills that could make it harder for people to access abortion medication.

A measure under consideration in the Tennessee Senate would let people file wrongful death lawsuits against out-of-state providers and manufacturers of abortion pills.

“This legislation’s passage is a critical step in our efforts to promote life, protect women and ensure morality defines our laws,” Republican Tennessee Rep. Gino Bulso said in a news release after the House passed the bill last month.

Our reproductive rights reporting team has been tracking these bills closely. Depending on the partisan makeup of a state’s legislature and other state government officials, some bills have a better chance of passing and becoming law than others.

Lawmakers eye out-of-state abortion providers, pill manufacturers

Arizona  

House Bill 2364: A February state court ruling cleared the way for Arizona Planned Parenthood clinics to offer telehealth medication abortions. But a bill advancing in the legislature would effectively make it illegal to send and receive abortion pills through the mail, Arizona Mirror reported.

Those who send abortion medication through the mail — including providers, pharmacists, manufacturers, and suppliers — would be guilty of a felony and could face between one and two-and-a-half years in prison and a $150,000 fine. Anyone who “orders, solicits, requests, receives or attempts to receive” abortion medication in the mail could face up to six months in jail, a $2,500 fine, and three years’ probation if this bill becomes law. The penalties don’t apply when pills are used for other obstetric purposes.

Status: House approved in late February, Senate House Rules Committee advanced on Tuesday

Sponsor: Republican Rep. Rachel Keshel

Mississippi  

House Bill 1613: This legislation would make it illegal to sell, intend to sell, manufacture, distribute or dispense abortion-inducing drugs in Mississippi, which bans all abortions unless the mother’s life or health is at risk.

Violators could face between one and 10 years in prison, and the state attorney general could enforce civil penalties, too, Mississippi Free Press reported.

The House passed the bill in February, and the Senate approved it on March 11, but the bill went back to the lower chamber for approval of amendments — minor language tweaks — and conference reports.

Status: GOP Gov. Tate Reeves’ signature or veto due Monday

Sponsors: Republican Reps. Kevin Horan and William Tracy Arnold. GOP Rep. Celeste Hurt amended the bill initially to add “abortion-inducing drugs” to the controlled substances list.

Tennessee 

House Bill 0005/Senate Bill 0419: An amended version of this bill would allow people to pursue wrongful death lawsuits against out-of-state providers and manufacturers who send abortion medication to patients in Tennessee through the mail. The patient or a beneficiary of the fetus could get a $1 million judgment in “statutory damages” if their claim holds up in court. The proposal doesn’t apply to pharmacists, physicians licensed in Tennessee or carriers, according to the state GOP Caucus.

Status: Passed by the House, placed on the Senate Reset calendar on Thursday

Sponsors: Rep. Gino Bulso and Sen. Joey Hensley, Republicans

Birth control access bills hit the finish line

Georgia

House Bill 1138: The measure would allow pharmacists to prescribe certain hormonal contraceptives such as birth control pills and shots to adults, Georgia Recorder reported. Patients under 18 could get birth control from pharmacists if they’ve had previous prescriptions for it.

Status: Headed to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk

Sponsors: Rep. Beth Camp and Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, Republicans

Virginia

House Bill 6/Senate Bill 596: This legislation establishes the right to contraception, allows people to sue if their rights are violated, and requires insurers to cover prescription and over-the-counter birth control with no cost-sharing for patients, Virginia Mercury reported.

Status: Signed into law Wednesday by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger

Sponsors: Del. Marcia “Cia” Price and Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, Democrats

Republican-majority statehouses pass sex education legislation

Alabama

Senate Bill 209: This bill would require educators to teach “sexual risk avoidance” — abstinence. Instructors would be banned from teaching students about birth control, but parents could opt their children out of sex education classes, Alabama Reflector reported.

Status: On Republican Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk

Sponsor: GOP Sen. Shay Shelnutt

Arizona

House Bill 2040: The measure would have required public schools to provide students with information about adoption if they also teach students about reproductive health, such as contraception and sexually transmitted infections, Arizona Mirror reported. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill Tuesday after the Republican-controlled legislature sent it to her desk.

Status: Vetoed

Sponsor: Republican Rep. Rachel Keshel

by Elisha Brown, Virginia Mercury

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.