Delaware bill would mandate abortion pills, 'emergency contraception' access at state universities

A Delaware bill introduced on May 13 would require state universities to make abortion pills and ‘emergency contraception’ available to students. 

“This Act requires public universities in this state to provide access to medication for the termination of pregnancy and emergency contraception,” Senate Bill 301 says. “The medication and contraception must be provided on-site, but consultation to provide them may be performed by a provider at the student health center, through telehealth services, or by a provider who is associated with a university-contracted external agency.”

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The bill would apply to public universities with a student health center. Two state schools have such a center, Delaware State University and the University of Delaware.

“It’s really important to ensure that college campuses here in Delaware are serving their students with reproductive services that meet those full needs,” state senator and bill sponsor Kyle Evans Gay said. “This is a very specific population that I think sometimes is overlooked.”

A spokesperson for the University of Delaware told Campus Reform: “We appreciate Senator Gay’s willingness to collaborate on language that reflects our current scope of practice at UD’s Student Health Center. Our Student Health Center is committed to supporting all students to ensure they receive optimal care from appropriately resourced providers.”

Others see the bill as a step in the wrong direction. Moira Sheridan, president of the Delaware Right to Life, told Campus Reform about various problems with the proposed legislation.

“The lethal drug combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is given to women without adequate informed consent or knowledge of the process itself,” Sheridan said. “Most women are told it will cause cramping like a normal period, but cursory research reveals a more extreme reaction including excruciating pain and cramping, vomiting, diarrhea, and uncontrollable shaking.”

She continued: “Delaware is unique in that as a small state, abortion clinics are easily available to both universities affected by this proposed law, University of Delaware in Newark and Delaware State University in Dover. Both campuses are situated near Planned Parenthood clinics where medication abortions are available, and Planned Parenthood is most likely the ‘university-contracted external agency’ referred to in the legislation.” 

”To suggest college-aged women are disadvantaged in having access to ‘reproductive care’ in Delaware is ludicrous,” she added.

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The Delaware bill is similar to a California bill that went into effect last year. “Each student health care services clinic on a California State University or University of California campus [must] offer abortion by medication techniques,” the law mandates. 

The University of Massachusetts also began offering abortion pills in 2022 to comply with a state law.

As of March 18, Columbia University began offering abortion pills for no additional charge to students who paid a Health and Related Services Fee.

Campus Reform contacted State Sen. Gay’s office and Delaware State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.