The Quickie: Biden-Harris Administration Keeps Reproductive Freedom Front and Center

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: Biden-Harris administration continues to center reproductive freedom and a state fights roundup.

BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION KEEPS REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FRONT AND CENTER: This morning, the White House announced new actions to protect access to sexual and reproductive health care amidst ongoing threats to reproductive freedom, including abortion. These actions include:

• New guidance from HHS to implement the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage requirement, to ensure that most insurers cover all contraceptive methods without out-of-pocket costs; 
• New enforcement action from HHS to ensure that insurers and public health programs are complying with their obligations to cover contraception; and
• A new campaign to educate patients on their rights and providers on their obligations for emergency medical care, including abortion, under EMTALA

Also today, President Biden will convene the fourth meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access, where agencies will announce these actions, report on the ongoing implementation of executive action on access to reproductive health care, and hear directly from physicians who are on the frontlines of the fallout from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Vice President is also launching her nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour today to continue fighting back against extreme attacks throughout America. In addition, Sec. Becerra spent time at the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood last week to hear directly from providers and patients on the ongoing impact abortion restrictions are having on access to essential health care. 

Read more here. 

STATE FIGHTS ROUND UP: More than 180 anti-abortion bills in 28 states have been filed so far this session, including legislation to ban abortion, bolster anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers,” and further restrict medication abortion. We’ve seen more than 200 proactive bills introduced in 28 states. These bills would expand abortion coverage and funding, enshrine abortion into state constitutions, increase data privacy for private health information, and more. Bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community and sex education also continue to advance. Here’s a round-up of some of the bills we’re tracking:

• Wisconsin: On Friday, lawmakers introduced a proposed statewide referendum that would enact a 14-week abortion ban. The bill must pass the legislature and be signed by the governor before heading to voters in April. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Health today.
• Maine: Today, the Committee on Judiciary is holding a public hearing for LD780, a constitutional amendment that would enshrine the right to reproductive autonomy in the state’s constitution. LD780 needs a two-thirds vote in the Senate and House before going to voters for approval.
• Virginia: Lawmakers have introduced HB1364 last week. In addition to banning abortion outright, the bill has implications for miscarriage management, in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies, and even some common types of contraception.
• Kansas: More abortion anti-abortion and anti-trans legislation was introduced last week including a bill amending the state’s so-called “born alive” provisions to impose even more stringent unnecessary requirements on abortion providers (HB2515) and a ban on gender-affirming care for minors (SB353). 
• New Hampshire: On Friday, the House Judiciary Committee held an executive session on a proposed 15-day abortion ban (HB1248), and a bill prohibiting any abortion clinic from performing abortions after 15 weeks with so-called “born alive” provisions (HB1541). On the proactive front, the executive session will also include discussion of a proposal to add the right to abortion explicitly into the New Hampshire Constitution (CACR23). The House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee also heard HCR11, a federal resolution to discourage medically unnecessary restrictions on medication abortion.
• Indiana: Despite the state’s total abortion ban currently in effect, lawmakers have filed a bill prohibiting the state and its political subdivisions from funding abortion or offering grants or payment to organizations that provide abortion or make referrals to patients seeking this care (HB 1069).
• South Carolina: Last week, the South Carolina House passed its ban on gender-affirming care for minors, which also bars anyone under the age of 26 from using Medicaid to cover their gender-affirming care and contains language implying school employees should out transgender students to their families. The bill is headed for the State Senate.
• Ohio: On Wednesday, the Ohio Senate will vote on whether to override Gov. DeWine's veto of HB68, legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors and barring transgender girls and women from playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. The House has already voted to override.
• Arizona: Last week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a bill targeting trusted adults who support LGBTQ youth (HB20264), while the  Senate Judiciary Committee heard a public schools censorship bill (SB1107).
• Utah: Lawmakers have introduced HB112, an anti-sex education bill that would remove the term “human sexuality” from the list of topics included in the definition of “sex ed” in Utah public schools. Hearings were also held last week on an anti-trans bathroom bill (HB257) and an anti-DEI education bill (HB261). A proactive measure to raise Medicaid coverage eligibility during pregnancy (HB193) is also moving.