Bill expanding abortion, gender-affirming care access moves forward in Oregon

Sydney Wyatt and Christine Fernando, USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
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People in late March line up to try to get into a public legislative hearing for House Bill 2002.
People in late March line up to try to get into a public legislative hearing for House Bill 2002.

A sweeping bill intended to expand access to abortion and gender-affirming care passed the Oregon House on Monday, despite Republicans' repeated attempts to block the measure.

The bill passed with a 36-23 vote after House members spent nearly 10 hours on the floor. House Speaker Dan Rayfield repeatedly urged Republicans to maintain proper decorum and stick to talking about the bill’s provisions.

The measure, Oregon House Bill 2002, would:

  • Allow minors younger than 15 years old to get abortions without parental approval

  • Expand state coverage of medical services for transgender individuals. Access to services to help reverse gender transition also would also be covered by the legislation after Republicans voiced concern for those wishing to de-transition after receiving gender-affirming care.

  • Require state-regulated and Oregon Health Plan insurance coverage of "all medically necessary gender-related services that are prescribed in alignment with accepted standards of care."

  • Repeal a statute that makes concealing the birth of a infant a misdemeanor. Democrats have described the statute as "antiquated," saying it came out of a desire to criminalize having sex out of wedlock.

The measure now heads to the state's Democratic majority Senate before going to Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek for her consideration.

“House Bill 2002 moves Oregon forward in our work to ensure a more just, equitable healthcare system by stopping politicians from interfering in personal medical decisions, closing gaps in insurance coverage, and increasing access to care,” said Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, in his opening statement introducing the measure.

Abortion laws by state: Searchable database of state-by-state abortion limits and protections

How does Oregon House Bill 2002 compare nationally?

The reproductive-health and access-to-care bill has been a legislative priority for Oregon Democrats since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June left abortion access up to individual states. Republican-led legislatures nationwide have since introduced and, in some cases, passed more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills limiting or blocking access to reproductive and gender-affirming care.

Oregon's bill also covers parental involvement laws for abortion access. Twenty-six states require parents' involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion, Rebecca Wang, legal support counsel at the reproductive justice organization If/When/How, told USA TODAY in February. Some require parental consent. Others only require that parents be notified. And four states — Wyoming, Utah, Virginia and Florida — require both, Wang said.

Many minors may fear parental involvement could have severe consequences, such as being forced to continue a pregnancy, abuse, loss of housing or economic support, and alienation from their families, Wang said. Others may be in the foster care system and may not have access to a parent who can give consent.

"We know that most young people who can involve a parent in their reproductive health decisions, do so," Wang said. "For young people who cannot, it's usually due to some challenging circumstances."

People on March 20 line up to try to get into a public hearing for House Bill 2002.
People on March 20 line up to try to get into a public hearing for House Bill 2002.

Follow Sydney Wyatt on Twitter @sydney_elise44.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Abortion, gender-affirming care bill passes House in Oregon