Vermont's Republican governor signed abortion and gender affirming shield bills into law Wednesday that include protecting access to a even if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration withdraws its approval of the pill, mifepristone.
The bills protect providers from discipline for providing legally protected reproductive and gender affirming health care services. Vermont is the first state to protect access to medication abortion in a shield law, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which describes itself as a research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.
鈥淭oday, we reaffirm once again that Vermont stands on the side of privacy, personal autonomy and reproductive liberty, and that providers are free to practice without fear,鈥� Republican Gov. Phil Scott said in a statement.
In the identical bills passed by the House and Senate, 鈥渞eproductive health care services鈥� includes 鈥渕edication that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for termination of a pregnancy as of January 1, 2023, regardless of the medication鈥檚 current FDA approval status.鈥�
Last month, the U.S. preserved women鈥檚 access to the drug, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues. The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of mifepristone, which are appealing a Texas lower court ruling that would roll back FDA approval of mifepristone.
鈥淯nfortunately, we can鈥檛 say how these legal protections will actually play out based on what happens in the Fifth Circuit Court, and likely appeals to that decision no matter what happens,鈥� said Isabel Guarnieri, of the Guttmacher Institute, by email. 鈥淎ll we know is that there鈥檚 going to be a ton of chaos and confusion.鈥�
___
Rathke reported from Marshfield, Vermont.
Lisa Rathke, The Associated Press
