Reproductive Health Equity Act Passes in Colorado House

Following 24 hours of debate, the Colorado House of Representatives passed HB 22-1279, the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), on a voice vote Saturday. The bill now moves to Senate Committee.

The legislation takes a crucial step to ensure lawful protections for reproductive rights and abortion access in Colorado. The bill is sponsored by House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar (D-Pueblo), Representative Meg Froelich (D-Littleton), and Senator Julie Gonzales (D-Denver).

RHEA ensures every individual has the right to choose or refuse contraception; every pregnant person has the fundamental right to choose to continue a pregnancy and give birth or have an abortion; and that a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under Colorado law. It’s especially pertinent given the current threats to overturning Roe v. Wade, which has guaranteed Americans abortion access for nearly 50 years.

Cobalt Advocates backed the bill, along with Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). Cobalt President Karen Middleton spoke out upon RHEA’s passing, asserting that abortion access is about power and that RHEA will each each person can make their own decisions about abortion and contraception in their own lives.

“There is nothing more economically, emotionally, and physically determinative to someone’s future than the decision to become pregnant, whether to continue a pregnancy, and whether to give birth—if, how, or when to become a parent,” Middleton says in a press release. “As Coloradans, we have long believed that power belongs to individuals, not the state. We must pass HB 22-1279 to put those beliefs into state law.“

COLOR President and CEO Dusti Gurule echoes Middleton’s sentiment, calling RHEA’s passing a historic, proactive step in protecting the ability of all people to access the reproductive healthcare they need and desire—regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender, immigration status, religious affiliation, or income.

“Latinas and other people of color who do not have the ability to make the best decisions for themselves and their families are forced to continue an unwanted pregnancy, face disproportionate harm and inequities along their pregnancy and birth journey—from higher rates of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality to continuing cycles of poverty,” Gurule says in the release. “The time to act is now, and waiting is not an option. This is why we need RHEA now, so that we can begin correcting these wrongs and improve access to critical healthcare for all.”