BUZZ
Washington could soon join a handful of states that require public colleges and universities to offer abortion pills on campus.
Lawmakers in the state House listened to testimonies for and against Senate Bill 5826 during a hearing Thursday, The News Tribune reports.
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest, would require higher education institutions with a health center to offer abortion pills on campus. Institutions without a health center would be required to provide referrals to abortion facilities.
All public colleges and universities also would be required to create a webpage with information about abortion, prenatal care, and other “reproductive health” services.
If it passes, the legislation would go into effect starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
Speaking at the committee hearing Thursday, Jean Hill of the Washington State Catholic Conference urged lawmakers to consider the “rights of the little person developing inside,” according to the report.
“Rather than promote a right to take life, we would encourage you to ensure pregnant individuals have the same rights to work, attend school and meet their basic needs and succeed as their non-pregnant peers,” Hill said.
In the bill, however, Sen. Nobles described “access to abortion” as “a human right.” The bill seeks to alleviate “travel, financial, and logistical barriers” to abortion for college-age women in the state.
“Students should not have to choose between their health and their education,” Nobles said at the hearing. “Students should be able to go to their campus and thrive.”
A legislative fiscal note about the bill states that the costs to universities “are likely to be minimal and can be absorbed using existing resources”:
“The University of Washington has student health centers at each of its three campuses (Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma). … Of the three health centers, only UW Seattle’s health center offers clinical [abortion] care to students, including access to abortion medication. The Bothell and Tacoma facilities provide referrals to outside providers, including for sexual and reproductive health care. These campuses will continue to do so under this measure.”
Typically, abortion pills are prescribed up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. The abortion method involves taking a drug that blocks the pregnancy hormone progesterone and kills the unborn baby, and then a second drug a day later that induces contractions. Women often experience heavy bleeding, nausea, and strong abdominal pain over the course of several days.
Five other states, California, New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, and Illinois, already have similar campus abortion mandates in place.
MORE: Illinois governor signs law mandating abortion pills on campus
