Sec. 2. Findings

355 words·~2 min read·/bill/118/hr/7059/ih/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress finds the following: On June 24, 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. Following the decision, States were able to increase restrictions or ban access to abortion, which has exacerbated the abortion access crisis. Under this legal framework, abortion access varies widely by State. Compared to April 2022, the number of abortions per month by June 2023 had dropped to zero in at least 12 States with abortion bans in place, while other States saw increases of over 2,000 abortions.

States that do not have an abortion ban or restrictions have experienced increased numbers of out-of-State patients seeking abortion services. Patients traveling for abortion services doubled in recent years with one in five patients crossing State lines to obtain an abortion in 2023, compared to one in ten in 2020. Abortion providers in States where abortion is legal have experienced an increase in the number of patients from out of State. This influx in patients has increased the demand for abortion services and strained the reproductive health care systems in many States.

The influx of out-of-State patients has also increased the backlogs in services and wait times for appointments in multiple States following increases in abortion bans and restrictions. To date, many facilities across the country still have reported wait times of a week or longer for abortion services. The challenges to access abortion disproportionately impact individuals of color, low-income individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals, youth, and others who face existing barriers to access health care in their communities.

Over 15 million reproductive-age women of color live in States that have banned or are likely to ban abortion following the Dobbs decision. Additionally, women of color, low-income women, young women, and women living in rural communities have been disproportionately impacted by travel for abortion services. To address the challenges in accessing abortion services, proper investments need to be made to improve capacity to accommodate for both patients in State and those coming from out of State to receive comprehensive and high-quality abortion services and other sexual and reproductive health services.