Kaine, Warner, Cortez Masto, Whitehouse, Murray, Gillibrand Introduce Legislation to Protect the Right of Women to Cross State Lines to Seek Abortion Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in introducing the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022. This legislation would make it clear that it is illegal for anti-choice states to limit travel for abortion services and would empower the U.S. Attorney General and impacted individuals to bring civil action against those who restrict a woman’s right to cross state lines to receive legal reproductive care.

“In light of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization restricting access to abortion services, this legislation is critical to helping women, regardless of where they live, access the reproductive health care they need,” said the Senators. “It will also help ensure medical providers in Virginia are not punished for providing patients with this care.”

Legislation introduced in Missouri and draft legislation proposed by anti-choice extremists make clear that interstate travel for reproductive health care is under attack. The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022 underscores the Constitutional protections for interstate travel and provides redress for women whose rights are violated. The legislation would also protect health care providers in pro-choice states from prosecution and lawsuits for serving individuals traveling from other states.

In addition to Senators Warner, Kaine, Cortez Masto, Whitehouse, Murray, and Gillibrand, the legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Revered Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Warner and Kaine are cosponsors of the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation that would protect Americans’ right to choose and prohibit state governors or legislatures from imposing unreasonable restrictions on accessing abortion services, and voted to pass the bill in February and May 2022. Kaine also introduced legislation with his Senate colleagues to expand access to affordable over-the-counter birth control.

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