HB 3709 requires public colleges and universities in Illinois to provide contraception and medication abortion through campus student health centers or on-campus pharmacies. Governor JB Pritzker signed the bill into law, making the services available beginning this academic year. Only California, Massachusetts and New York previously had similar requirements. The law drew partial inspiration from a student referendum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on offering medication abortions at the university health center. Approximately three-quarters of the more than 6,000 undergraduates who voted supported offering medication abortions, but the university declined to implement the service citing lack of expertise. The governor also signed separate legislation increasing protections for abortion providers.
Public colleges and universities in Illinois will now be required by law to supply contraception and abortion medication in the student health center or pharmacy, according to Illinois Public Media. Democratic governor JB Pritzker signed HB 3709 into law Friday, requiring colleges to supply birth control and medication abortions starting this academic year. Only three other states-California, Massachusetts and New York-currently have similar laws.
The law was inspired in part by a student referendum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign regarding whether the university health center should offer medication abortions. About three-quarters of the more than 6,000 undergraduates who voted were in favor of the idea, but the university didn't implement the idea, saying it didn't have the expertise to provide abortions. The governor also signed a bill increasing protections for abortion providers on the same day.
Collection
[
|
...
]