Abortion-related bills continue to be introduced and debated in legislatures across the country, especially in states where the procedure is already banned. It can be hard to monitor them all, so States Newsroom’s Reproductive Rights Today team tracks certain bills that could become law in their respective states in a biweekly legislative roundup. Depending on the partisan makeup of a state’s legislature and other state government officials, some bills have a higher chance of passing and becoming law than others.
Alabama
On the heels of a Democratic candidate winning the special election for a House seat on a campaign centered on reproductive rights and access to IVF services, a Republican Alabama legislator introduced a bill making it a crime to help a minor receive an abortion without the knowledge of a parent or guardian, according to Alabama Reflector. Alabama bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy with exceptions to save a pregnant patient’s life, preserve their health or for fatal fetal anomalies.
House Bill 378: The bill is similar to a so-called “abortion trafficking” law that was first passed by the Idaho Legislature in 2023. The Idaho law is currently blocked by a district court and that decision is under appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but other attempts at the same idea have popped up in Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Alabama’s bill makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail for transporting or otherwise aiding a minor in obtaining an abortion or abortion medication. Critics say the bill is vague and will invite unnecessary litigation, since the bill also includes a civil component allowing parents to sue.
Status: Introduced and referred to House Judiciary committee
Sponsor: Republican Rep. Mark Gidley
Alaska
Abortion is a constitutional right in Alaska, and House lawmakers there just approved a bill to ease access to contraception.
House Bill 17: This bill increases the current 90 days of birth control allowable to be dispensed by state law to 12 months, and requires insurance companies to cover contraceptives without a co-payment, according to Alaska Beacon. It also requires retroactive coverage of prescriptions if a person signs up for insurance with an existing prescription. Emergency contraception, such as Plan B, is not covered in the bill as it was removed during amendments to the bill.
Status: Passed the House 29-11, awaiting consideration in the Senate where it is expected to pass
Sponsor: Democratic Rep. Ashley Carrick
Kansas
Republican legislators in Kansas continue to introduce bills related to abortion, despite Kansas voters’ overwhelming rejection of abortion bans in a referendum shortly after the Dobbs decision in 2022. Abortion is legal in Kansas, and six clinics provide in-clinic services.
House Bill 2749: Kansas Reflector reported this bill passed the Senate last week, meaning it now heads to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk. The bill requires abortion providers to ask patients why they are terminating their pregnancies with questions related to age, marital status, domestic violence considerations and the method of abortion. The bill was requested by Kansans for Life, the main group that pushed the failed 2022 referendum to allow abortion bans in the state. It would also apply to minors.
Status: Passed by the Senate 27-13, awaiting governor’s consideration
Sponsor: Requested on behalf of Kansans for Life by Republican Rep. Ron Bryce
Louisiana
A bill to codify access to contraception is stalled in Louisiana while anti-abortion group Louisiana Right to Life decides whether it will support the measure, Louisiana Illuminator reports. Abortion is banned at any stage of pregnancy in Louisiana with exceptions to save a pregnant patient’s life, preserve their health or for fatal fetal anomalies.
House Bill 395: The bill, authored by a New Orleans Democrat, does not mandate insurance coverage for birth control but instead ensures a variety of birth control options can be prescribed and used in the state, including oral contraceptives, IUDs and emergency contraception, such as Plan B. Republicans have criticized the IUDs and emergency contraceptive components based on the erroneous belief that they are abortifacients.
Status: Awaiting consideration in House Health and Welfare committee
Sponsor: Democratic Rep. Delisha Boyd
House Bill 245: Legislators voted not to allow voters to decide if reproductive rights, including abortion, should be enshrined in the state constitution. By a vote of 10-2, lawmakers didn’t let the proposal get any further than a House committee.
Status: Dead
Sponsor: Democratic Rep. Aimee Freeman
Maryland
Democrats in Maryland, where abortions are broadly legal, are attempting to secure funding for clinics that provide abortions before the end of the state’s legislative session, according to Maryland Matters.
Senate Bill 947 and Senate Bill 975: The first bill is an effort to establish a grant program to improve access to abortion care services with available federal funds, including helping those who don’t have insurance. SB 975 would allow the state department of health to provide grants to help boost security measures at abortion clinics, including security cameras, alarms and panic buttons. The sponsoring Democrats hope the two bills will work in tandem to provide adequate funding.
Status: Scheduled to be discussed in the Senate on Tuesday, April 2
Sponsors: Democratic Sens. Ariana B. Kelly and Natalie R. Bilbrough
Missouri
Nearly all abortions are banned in Missouri, but a bipartisan group of legislators is trying to expand access to contraception statewide through a health care bill sponsored by an anti-abortion Republican representative, Missouri Independent reports.
House Bill 2413: The bill contains several changes related to health care, including policies for specialty hospitals and blood tests for pregnant patients, and a new requirement that any health insurance plan in Missouri is required to cover up to one year of hormonal contraceptives starting in January 2025. Data shows more than 373,000 Missouri women live in areas of the state where it is difficult to access a range of contraceptive methods, and the legislation is meant to help alleviate that issue.
Status: The bill sponsor hopes it will receive a vote in the House in early April
Sponsor: Republican Rep. Tara Peters
House Bill 2634/Senate Bill 1168: This legislation prohibits the spending of any public funds on an abortion facility or its affiliates or associates, including Medicaid through the MO HealthNet program. Missouri Independent reports the bill is targeting Planned Parenthood clinics, which do not provide abortions in Missouri but may provide referrals to clinics in other states for abortion care. The clinics do provide contraceptives, testing for sexually transmitted diseases and cancer, and general wellness visits. The identical bills are advancing in their respective chambers.
Status: Passed the House, awaiting consideration in the Senate
Sponsor: Republican Rep. Cody Smith and Republican Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman
South Dakota
South Dakota bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy with an exception only to save a pregnant patient’s life.
House Bill 1224: Searchlight reported this bill mandates that the South Dakota Health Department create an informational video describing the state’s abortion law, including what actions do and do not qualify as an abortion, the most common medical conditions that can threaten a pregnant person’s life, and standards of care around treatment of pregnant patients, among other provisions.
Status: Law after signature from Republican Gov. Kristi Noem on March 26
Sponsor: Republican Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, 27 other Republicans and one Democrat
House Bill 1244: This bill allows people to withdraw their signatures from petitions for ballot measures, referendums and constitutional amendment questions. South Dakota Searchlight reported the bill sponsor said people have been “misled, or frankly, fraudulently induced” into signing the petitions, and the bill gives them a choice.
Status: Law after signature from Republican Gov. Kristi Noem
Sponsor: Republican Rep. Jon Hansen