Oregon House passes bill expanding abortion, trans health care
The bill has sparked fervent debate, particularly regarding abortion access for minors. It would allow doctors to provide an abortion to anyone regardless of age.
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon lawmakers have advanced a sweeping bill intended to protect abortion and gender-affirming health care for transgender people by boosting legal safeguards and expanding access and insurance coverage.
Democratic representatives on Monday night passed the bill along party lines in a House floor vote that stretched for roughly six hours after Republicans sought to stall it.
Citing concerns about the wide-ranging scope of the bill — which addresses topics from minors’ access to abortion to emergency contraception at university student health centers to insurance coverage for gender-affirming care procedures — Republicans sought through various motions to send the bill back to different policy committees, delay the vote until next month and postpone it indefinitely.
Republican state Rep. Lily Morgan was among those who spoke in favor of its postponement.
“It would give us the time to address some of the concerns brought up today, and if nothing else have an honest discussion around them,” she said.
Republicans said they were frustrated that the bill, which has sparked fervent debate, only received one public hearing. The emotionally charged hearing at the state Capitol in Salem in March lasted several hours with dozens of people testifying in person. Hundreds more submitted written testimony both for and against it.
Democrats said the bill has been drafted over the past year and came out of a work group that was convened after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision.
“This bill is the result of a year-long collaboration between dozens of legislators and stakeholders including patients, providers, advocates, community groups, and legal experts. It protects, strengthens, and expands safe, equitable access to