On Thursday, March 30, members of the U.S. Congress reintroduced the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA): federal legislation to re-establish a nationwide right to abortion. When passed, the WHPA will create a new right for providers to provide—and their patients to receive—abortion care throughout the U.S.
In addition to re-establishing a nationwide right, WHPA safeguards abortion access by protecting the right to travel for abortion care and creating new protections for patients, providers, and those who assist people in exercising their right to abortion.
WHPA was introduced in the House of Representatives with 208 original co-sponsors by lead sponsors Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX). It was introduced in the Senate on March 8 by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).