State-Level Abortion Bans

Politicians in states across the country have been chipping away at abortion rights and access for decades via unconstitutional bans, angling for a case that would rise to the attention of the Supreme Court.

A 15-week ban in Mississippi finally did just that. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion up to the point of fetal viability (22-24 weeks’ gestation) a constitutional right in the United States. The ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization permits states to decide their own abortion laws, and many have already outlawed the procedure at any stage of pregnancy or have limited it to very early in pregnancy. As legal challenges play out in states, the laws are changing daily; the Guttmacher Institute is a reliable resource for the current status of state abortion bans and protections.

We are dedicated to helping elect congressional candidates in this year’s midterm elections who support the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), a bill that would prohibit state governments from imposing undue burdens on patients seeking abortions or on providers offering abortion services. Another bill in the House of Representatives, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, would protect patients’ right to travel out of state for abortion services and would also protect providers who perform abortions on out-of-state residents and other people who help patients obtain abortion care across state lines.