Bill to require public colleges offer 'medication abortion' advances to Illinois House
A Democrat-led, Midwestern state has moved closer to mandating that colleges provide abortion services and contraception.
On March 19, H.B. 3709 passed the Illinois Higher Education Committee and was placed back on the calendar for further discussion; it has since advanced to the Illinois House of Representatives for debate.
A Democrat-led, Midwestern state has moved closer to mandating that colleges provide abortion services and contraception.
On March 19, H.B. 3709 passed the Illinois Higher Education Committee and was placed back on the calendar for further discussion; it has since advanced to the Illinois House of Representatives for debate.
The bill would mandate that all public colleges and universities with health services in the state must provide their students with access to “health care professionals” who can provide both contraception and “medication abortion.” If the college or university has an on-campus pharmacy, the bill mandates that “the pharmacy on campus shall dispense contraception to enrolled students who wish to fill their prescriptions at the university pharmacy.”
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there were 72,143 abortions in the state, an increase from 2022’s total of 56,457.
Bill sponsor and Rep. Anna Moeller of the 43rd District presented the bill to the House on Wednesday for a short debate.
Emma Darbo, a senior student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, reportedly helped Moeller introduce the bill in committee.
“This access to reproductive care on campus alleviates specific burdens that can disproportionately affect college students like cost, transportation, and insurance coverage,” Darbo said, according to WAND News.
The outlet reports that the student helped lead a campus referendum in which 80 percent of students voted in favor of the school supporting abortion pills.
University of Illinois Chief Communications Officer Chantelle Thompson told Campus Reform that the institution supports the “right” of individuals to make decisions on “legal and safe abortion access.”
“McKinley Health Center is the official health center on campus, committed to delivering high-quality and accessible care to all students,” Thompson said. “We support the right of individuals to make informed choices regarding legal and safe abortion access.
Similar legislation has been attempted in other states, such as Senate Bill 5321 in Washington. The legislation called access to abortion “a human right, an integral part of essential health care, and vital for promoting public health,” but failed to pass out of committee.
Campus Reform has contacted Rep. Moeller for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
