Reproductive Equity Now Statement in Advance of Public Hearing on Proposed New Hampshire Abortion Ban
HB 476 would ban abortion in New Hampshire after 15 weeks gestation
CONCORD, NH (January 27, 2025) – Reproductive Equity Now President Rebecca Hart Holder released the following statement today as the House Judiciary Committee prepares to hold a hearing on HB 476, a bill banning abortion care in New Hampshire after 15 weeks. The legislation also establishes a new criminal penalty for providers who provide abortion care after 15 weeks gestation if such care does not fit within a narrow list of exceptions, in addition to creating a new civil remedy for the “father” and “maternal grandparents” of the fetus that would allow them to take legal action against a provider who offers abortion care.
“Any restriction on abortion care is an attack on bodily autonomy and human rights. A 15-week abortion ban is an arbitrary and unscientific ban on care that is far more extreme than the current restrictions on abortion in New Hampshire,” said Rebecca Hart Holder, President of Reproductive Equity Now. “This legislation would prevent health care professionals from providing the best medical care to Granite Staters, and have devastating consequences for patients’ health across our state. The decision to have an abortion is personal, and should always be made between a patient and their doctor – without government interference.
Hart Holder continued, “Granite Staters have time and again made clear that they overwhelmingly support reproductive freedom and the right to access abortion care on one’s own terms. Bans on abortion are out-of-step with Granite State values, and should be rejected by the legislature. Kelly Ayotte and House Majority leaders campaigned on a promise not to further restrict abortion care in New Hampshire – and now they must keep that promise. We urge the House Judiciary Committee to recommend this bill as inexpedient to legislate and halt any efforts to further restrict access to abortion care.”
Current New Hampshire law bans abortion after 24 weeks gestation, with limited exceptions for patients experiencing fatal fetal anomalies or urgent life-threatening conditions. Though, medical exceptions do not work in practice, and are rather attempts by anti-abortion lawmakers to make abortion bans appear less extreme. HB 467, the new proposed legislation, does not include any exceptions for victims of rape or incest.
According to a UMass Lowell / YouGov poll, 78% of Granite Staters believe there should be a right to get an abortion in every state in the United States. 66% of likely New Hampshire voters oppose a 15-week abortion ban, with 68% of Independents opposing the restriction.
According to the Turnaway Study, when women are denied access to abortion, they are at increased risk of experiencing poverty and unemployment, and are more likely to perform poorly on indicators of women’s health, children’s health, and social determinants of health.
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