Policy Resolution HHS-23-22

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade—a legal precedent which upheld the constitutional right to privacy and freedom of choice regarding abortion—sets the clock back approximately 50 years and jeopardizes the health and lives of countless Americans;

WHEREAS, the right to safe and legal abortion is a fundamental human right and must be protected for all, especially in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s dangerous decision;

WHEREAS, the current ruling will have a chilling effect on reproductive healthcare providers and their patients, and it will create a new and limiting landscape in how reproductive healthcare providers are trained;

WHEREAS, ending a pregnancy should not be criminalized by government;

WHEREAS, safe, legal, accessible, and affordable abortion care is essential for safeguarding health, reducing mortality and morbidity, enabling healthy spacing of pregnancies, and promoting health equity;

WHEREAS, eliminating constitutional rights to make decisions about one’s own body will adversely impact people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community who encounter discrimination from health care providers at higher rates, have limited access to healthcare services and resources, face unequal pay, and are more likely than their White counterparts to lack health insurance;

WHEREAS, banning access to healthcare particularly exacerbates the risk of negative reproductive and maternal health outcomes, with lasting health and economic consequences for individuals and society as a whole;

WHEREAS, existing health inequities will hold true with access to reproductive care; those populations that face systemic oppression and have limited access to healthcare will be up against heightened challenges in seeking abortion care, affordable contraceptives, comprehensive reproductive health information and education, gender affirming care, and freedom from sexual violence;

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court ruling will make access to some abortions impossible or extremely difficult, depending on an individual’s location, gestation period, medical conditions, and other factors;

WHEREAS, a United States district court judge in North Carolina recently allowed a law that bans abortions after twenty weeks of pregnancy to be reinstated;

WHEREAS, reproductive health restrictions can have long-lasting negative mental, physical health and financial impacts on people’s lives;

WHEREAS, President Biden has issued an Executive Order to Protect Access to Abortion and Reproductive Health Services, including access to federally approved medication abortion; and

WHEREAS, we are committed to the protection of all women, trans, and gender non-conforming people’s access to reproductive healthcare and safe abortion.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBSCL) urges Congress to immediately pass legislation to codify Roe v. Wade and protect the reproductive freedom of all persons who may need access to abortion care;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that NBCSL opposes any attempts by individual states to undermine women’s reproductive rights, and urges every state to also codify a woman right to choose when and if she has an abortion; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.

• Resolution ID: HHS-23-22
• Sponsored by: Sen. Natalie Murdock (NC)
• Policy Committee: Health and Human Services (HHS)