Ahead of House Hearing, Reproductive Equity Now Releases Statement on Proposed Abortion Travel Ban
The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is holding a hearing this morning on a bill to ban transporting young people across state lines for abortion care
CONCORD (January 22, 2025) – Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder released the following statement today as the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee prepares to hold a hearing on HB 191-FN, a bill to ban transporting young people for abortion care.
Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now: “Travel bans are about one thing: control. Controlling our bodies, movements, and freedoms. Travel bans are the next step in anti-abortion extremists’ playbook to make essential reproductive health care unattainable, especially for young people. Despite their false claims, “abortion trafficking” simply does not exist. These lies are an anti-abortion attempt to sow fear and chaos, while stigmatizing abortion care. New Hampshire—a state that celebrates personal freedoms—should not be in the business of surveilling or policing the movement of its citizens, nor should it seek to infringe upon their constitutional rights. The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee should move to defeat this bill immediately.
Hart Holder continued, “If passed into law, the constitutionality of this ban will undoubtedly be challenged in court, costing New Hampshire taxpayers millions. While bans like these have been passed by anti-abortion legislators in Idaho and Tennessee, because of ongoing legal challenges, neither bill has gone into full effect. New Hampshire voters should see this bill for what it really is: a reckless and costly attempt to strip freedom away from Granite Staters.”
Idaho, which bans abortion in nearly all cases, passed an abortion travel ban in April 2023. Idaho’s law has been challenged in federal court. In December 2024, the Ninth Circuit Court partially upheld a stay on the Idaho abortion travel ban, however, litigation and further appeals are anticipated. In May 2023, Tennessee enacted a similar law to Idaho. Tennessee's law has been blocked by a federal judge since September 2023. All of these bills, including New Hampshire’s proposed legislation, are near exact copies of recommended model legislation from the National Right to Life Committee.
###