Senator Baldwin Joins Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Protect Women’s Right to Travel Across State Lines to Seek Abortion Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined her colleagues in introducing the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022 to protect every woman’s constitutional right to travel across state lines to receive abortion care—and the providers who care for them. This legislation would make it crystal clear that it is illegal for states to limit travel for abortion services and would empower the U.S. Attorney General and impacted individuals to bring civil action against those who restrict a woman’s right to cross state lines to receive legal reproductive care.

“Republicans have taken Wisconsin women back to 1849, and it is Republicans who support political interference in personal health care decisions,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m supporting this legislation because it will protect not only women who travel for care, but the health care professionals who provide the care and those who assist with travel across state lines, including employers. We will protect women’s constitutional freedom to travel and receive the legal reproductive care they want and need.”

Legislation introduced in Missouri and draft legislation proposed by anti-choice extremists make clear that interstate travel for reproductive health care is under attack. The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022 underscores the constitutional protections for interstate travel and provides redress for women whose rights are violated. The legislation would also protect health care providers in pro-choice states from prosecution and lawsuits for serving individuals traveling from other states.

The legislation is led by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and is also cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Jon Tester (D-MT).

An online version of this release is available here.