In response to sweeping legislation at the state level that blocks access to life-saving healthcare, in both the transgender and reproductive health sectors, Colorado lawmakers are moving to protect those to travel to the state seeking care. SB23-188 establishes shield laws to protect those seeking or performing reproductive health and gender-affirming care. In other words, state agencies will not recognize any out-of-state prosecutions of those who have traveled to Colorado seeking healthcare.
Many of the abortion and gender-affirming healthcare bans include stipulations where those who seek out healthcare from other states can be prosecuted for doing so. Some states, most recently New Jersey, have begun passing legislation that would protect those traveling from other states from being prosecuted.
“Anti-trans bills, bans, and laws have been sweeping the country, yet in Colorado, we’re focused on protecting the fundamental right to gender-affirming and reproductive health care,” says Representative Brianna Titone, in a press release.
“Our legislation not only affirms the right to protected health care but prevents other states from enforcing their regressive anti-abortion and anti-trans laws in Colorado. For many, having access to gender-affirming care is both life-saving, and validating. This important legislation protects our privacy, prioritizes patients, and providers over politics, and upholds our fundamental rights to healthcare.”
As Colorado’s neighboring states continue to put bans on reproductive healthcare, the state is seeing a large influx of people traveling to Colorado seeking abortions. As of September 2022, 2,477 people from out of state have received abortion care in Colorado, according to provisional data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. That number exceeds previous years by nearly 1,000.
With such an influx of patients coming into the state, a proverbial target is placed on Colorado as states with bans aim to prosecute those who seek or provide abortion access to their residents. Shield laws, like the one moving through Colorado’s House, would prohibit state agencies from complying with investigations from outside states.
“Colorado Democrats will always defend reproductive freedom, and I’m proud of the important progress we’ve made to protect those seeking or performing legal, reproductive health care,” says Representative Meg Froelich.
“Our bill codifies important protections for legally protected health care service to make sure our patients, providers, and assistors are shielded from interstate prosecution, retaliation, and imprisonments. In Colorado, we trust you to make your own medical decisions and will protect you from other states’ baseless attempts to enforce their restrictive abortion laws.”
