Reproductive Equity Now Launches 2025 Connecticut Legislative Agenda
With abortion access under threat federally, the organization’s agenda expands abortion care in the state and further protects Connecticut patients, providers
HARTFORD, CT (February 3, 2025) – Reproductive Equity Now is today announcing its agenda for the 2025 Connecticut legislative session. The organization’s priorities are aimed at standing up to federal attacks on reproductive health care, expanding access to care for patients, and further protecting abortion and gender-affirming care providers.
The organization’s 2025 priorities include:
Expanding access to abortion care throughout pregnancy
At no point in pregnancy is the government more qualified to make decisions about reproductive health care than a doctor and their patient. As Donald Trump continues to threaten abortion access and interstate travel nationwide, Connecticut must update state law to eliminate arbitrary restrictions on abortion later in pregnancy and ensure no one must leave the state for abortion care. We must trust doctors and patients—not politicians—to make informed health care decisions.Bolstering shield protections for abortion providers
In the wake of the Dobbs decision, the Connecticut Legislature acted to pass the nation’s first shield law to protect providers and those seeking care in Connecticut. Now, the state has the opportunity to go further to protect its providers who may be willing to provide medication abortion via telemedicine to out-of-state patients and strengthen existing shield protections. Connecticut has an obligation to continue to expand access to safe and compassionate abortion care, and can do so by strengthening its shield law to offer a layer of protection for telehealth providers dedicated to providing abortion care regardless of a patient’s location.
Protecting patient access to care
As we continue to see threats to bodily autonomy at the federal level, Connecticut stands apart as a leader in protecting and expanding access to reproductive health care. However, refusal laws allow any provider or health care professional involved in patient care to refuse that care based on their religious or conscientious objection. To combat this barrier to care in the state, Connecticut can act to ensure health care institutions, such as religiously affiliated hospitals, do not prohibit providers from providing medically-accurate information regarding a patient’s health status, counseling, and referrals for care that may not align with an institution’s moral or religious beliefs.
Affirming the right to emergency pregnancy-related care amidst federal attacks
With attacks on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) making their way through the courts, Connecticut residents need to know that they will be able to access emergency pregnancy-related care, including abortion care, when they experience life- or health-threatening pregnancy complications, regardless of their ability to pay at the time of treatment. Connecticut can pass legislation affirming the right of physicians to provide emergency pregnancy-related care, including abortion, to protect patients from shifting federal policy.
“Connecticut has made significant strides to become a national leader for abortion access, but in the face of a second Trump administration, we know there is more work to be done to ensure that everyone in our state has equitable access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care,” said Liz Gustafson, Connecticut State Director of Reproductive Equity Now. “We can see what is on the horizon: hostile attacks from anti-abortion extremists in the federal government and a renewed effort to criminalize patients seeking urgent care and providers offering life-saving abortion. Now more than ever, it is critical that the Connecticut legislature act quickly to further protect providers and patients, and expand access to abortion care throughout pregnancy.”
Last legislative session, Connecticut lawmakers took action to pass legislation that expanded access to paid sick leave for workers. Reproductive Equity Now’s priority bill to protect providers from professional retribution at religiously-affiliated health care institutions, H.B. 5424, also advanced out of the Public Health Committee, and garnered more co-sponsors and support than in any previous legislative session.
Reproductive Equity Now is also supportive of the following legislative items:
As a part of the HUSKY 4 Immigrants Coalition, our organization supports expanding HUSKY eligibility for undocumented residents up to age 26.
We are supportive of efforts working to ensure equitable access to, and insurance coverage of, fertility care and assisted reproductive technologies.
We support efforts aimed at increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for family planning clinics.
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