Just Days Into the Legislative Session, Republicans Have Already Filed Nearly A Dozen Anti-Abortion Bills

Richmond, Virginia—Republicans, some of whom promised that passing anti-abortion bills was not part of their agenda, have already filed a host of anti-abortion bills in week one of the 2022 Virginia General Assembly session. The proposed bills would reverse nearly all of the progress made in Virginia when it comes to expanding the right to abortion and would reinstate an obstacle course of state-mandated, medically unnecessary barriers to access. A few of the bills are: 

• HB983 would reinstate the targeted restrictions on abortion providers (TRAP), which have been proven to be medically unnecessary and designed to limit access and shut down health clinics.
• HB212 would require someone seeking an abortion to receive biased counseling 24-hours before having an abortion. Attempts like this are meant to create an additional burden on health centers providing abortion care and to stigmatize that care. It has nothing to do with health or safety.
• HB304 seeks to shame and criminalize clinicians who perform abortions. All of these bills seek to limit access to abortion, shame people seeking abortion, and insert politicians into decisions that should be between a person and their medical provider. 

Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance Statement (edited): 
Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert (R) said after the November 2021 election that anti-abortion bills wouldn’t be a priority for him or his caucus. But three days into the legislative session, nearly a dozen anti-abortion bills have already been filed. The intent is clear: anti-abortion lawmakers feel empowered to limit access to abortion every way they can, restrict Virginians’ ability to choose whether and when to become a parent for themselves, and shame and stigmatize clinicians.

Advocates and patients worked tirelessly to remove each of the medically unnecessary barriers that lawmakers are now attempting to reinstate. The 49th and potentially final anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that made abortion legal, is January 22. May it serve as a stark reminder to the entire General Assembly of just how far we have come and just how quickly progress can be erased. Members of the Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance will be fighting every step of the way to ensure that Senate Democrats protect our progress and ensure abortion is accessible for all of us. 

The Virginia Reproductive Equity Alliance is a group of organizations dedicated to ensuring equitable access to abortion and reproductive health care services for everyone in the Commonwealth. The group includes: Virginia NOW, Pro-Choice Virginia, Birth in Color, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, Blue Ridge Abortion Fund, Progress Virginia, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, ACLU of Virginia, Latina Institute Virginia, Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project, National Council for Jewish Women, Virginia