Changes to the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 raise the possibility that Roe v. Wade could be severely undermined—or even overturned—essentially leaving the legality of abortion to individual states. A reversal of Roe could establish a legal path for states’ pre-1973 abortion bans, as well as currently unenforced post-1973 bans, to take effect.
Many state lawmakers continue to consider and enact abortion bans that fly in the face of constitutional standards and Roe’s precedent in anticipation of an eventual lawsuit on such a ban coming before a Supreme Court hostile to abortion rights.
Some bans prohibit abortion under all or nearly all circumstances, a tactic widely viewed as an attempt to provoke a legal challenge to Roe. Several of this type of ban that were passed by states have been blocked by court orders and would require further court action to be enforced.
Other bans enacted after Roe are designed to be “triggered” and take effect automatically or by swift state action if Roe is overturned. Several states even have laws declaring the state’s intent to ban abortion to whatever extent is permitted by the U.S. Constitution, making their desire to halt abortion access in the state clear. A few states have amended their constitution to declare that it does not contain any protection for abortion rights or allow public funds to be used for abortion.
Meanwhile, policymakers in some states have approved laws to protect abortion rights without relying on the Roe decision. Most of these policies prohibit the state from interfering with the right to obtain an abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person.
Abortion Policy in the Absence of Roe |
||||||||
State |
Restricting the right to abortion |
Protecting the right to abortion |
||||||
|
Unenforced pre-Roe abortion ban |
Post-Roe ban intended to take effect if Roe overturned |
Unconstitutional, post-Roe restrictions that could take effect if Roe overturned |
Expressed intent to limit abortion to maximum extent permitted |
Constitution explicitly does not secure right to abortion |
Throughout pregnancy |
Prior to viability |
|
Alabama |
X†,‡ |
|
s |
|
X |
|
|
|
Arizona |
X† |
|
|
|
|
|
||
Arkansas |
X |
X |
s |
X |
|
|
||
California |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
Colorado |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
||
Connecticut |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
Delaware |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
District of Columbia |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
||
Georgia |
|
|
s |
|
|
|
||
Hawaii |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
Idaho |
X |
|||||||
Illinois |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
Iowa |
|
|
q |
|
|
|
||
Kansas |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
||
Kentucky |
|
X |
s |
X |
|
|
||
Louisiana |
|
X |
q |
X |
X |
|
|
|
Maine |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
Maryland | X | |||||||
Massachusetts |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
Michigan |
s† |
|
|
|
|
|
||
Mississippi |
X†,Ψ |
X |
s |
|
|
|
||
Missouri |
|
X |
s |
X |
|
|
||
Nevada |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
New Jersey |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
|
|
New Mexico |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
New York |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
North Carolina |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
North Dakota |
|
X |
q |
X |
|
|
||
Ohio |
|
|
s |
X |
|
|
||
Oregon |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
||
Oklahoma |
X† |
X |
|
|
|
|
||
Rhode Island |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
South Carolina |
s | |||||||
South Dakota |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
||
Tennessee |
|
X |
s |
|
X |
|
|
|
Texas |
q |
X |
|
|
|
|
||
Utah |
|
X |
q |
|
|
|
||
Vermont |
|
|
|
|
X |
|
||
Washington |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
||
West Virginia |
X† |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
|
Wisconsin |
X† |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wyoming |
|
X |
|
|
|
|
||
TOTAL |
7 |
13 |
0 |
7 |
4 |
4 + DC |
12 |
q Permanently enjoined by court order; law not in effect.
s Temporarily enjoined by court order; law not in effect.
† Law includes an exception to protect the life of the patient.
‡ Law includes an exception to protect the health of the patient.
Ψ Law includes an exception in cases of rape.