Committee Approves Bill to Expand Access to Abortion Care for College Students
HB26-1335 would require college student health centers to provide on-site abortion medication services
DENVER, CO – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee yesterday advanced legislation sponsored by Senators Katie Wallace, D-Longmont, and Jeff Bridges, D-Arapahoe County, to expand access to abortion care for college students.
“College students are navigating a nation that continues to undermine their right to abortion care, but Colorado is and will remain a safe haven for reproductive rights,” Wallace said. “This bill would ensure that students who rely on campus health centers are able to access the healthcare they need, when they need it, where they are.”
“Abortion care is healthcare, and college students in Colorado deserve access to that care despite national efforts to deny it,” Bridges said. “Colorado voters enshrined the right to abortion in the constitution, and with this bill, we’re leveling the playing field so students have equal access to that right.”
HB26-1335 would expand college students’ access to reproductive healthcare by requiring public and private higher education institutions with student health centers to provide on-site abortion medication.
If the college has an on-campus pharmacy, abortion medication must be available to enrolled students. If the college does not have a pharmacy on campus, healthcare providers would be required to submit a prescription for abortion medication to a pharmacy or other prescription drug outlet located off campus. The bill would also add privacy protections by requiring institutions to comply with preexisting personally identifying information maintenance and disclosure protections in state law. The bill would exempt higher education institutions from the requirement to stock or dispense abortion medication if doing so would conflict with their religious beliefs or practices or if it would jeopardize an institution’s federal grant participation.
Colorado Democrats have championed multiple laws to expand and safeguard abortion access in Colorado. This includes legislation to strengthen Colorado's shield laws, protecting patients and providers from hostile out-of-state actions. Last year, Colorado Democrats implemented the will of the voters by enshrining abortion rights into the state constitution.
HB26-1335 now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration. Track its progress here.