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As of January 1, 2021 State Laws and Policies

Abortion Policy in the Absence of Roe

Background

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 woman.

Highlights

  • 21 states have laws that could be used to restrict the legal status of abortion.
    • 9 states retain their unenforced, pre-Roe abortion bans.
    • 10 states have post-Roe laws to ban all or nearly all abortions that would be triggered if Roe were overturned.  
    • 9 states have unconstitutional post-Roe restrictions that are currently blocked by courts but could be brought back into effect with a court order in Roe’s absence.
    • 7 states have laws that express the intent to restrict the right to legal abortion to the maximum extent permitted by the U.S. Supreme Court in the absence of Roe.
    • 3 states have passed a constitutional amendment explicitly declaring that their constitution does not secure or protect the right to abortion or allow use of public funds for abortion.

 

  • 14 states and the District of Columbia have laws that protect the right to abortion.  
    • 2 states and the District of Columbia have codified the right to abortion throughout pregnancy without state interference.
    • 12 states explicitly permit abortion prior to viability or when necessary to protect the life or health of the woman.
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For more information

  • Public Policy Office

    202 296-4012
    [email protected]

Topic

United States

  • Abortion: State Policies on Abortion

Geography

  • United States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Related Content

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Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2017

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Induced Abortion in the United States

Report

Abortion in Women’s Lives

Policy Analysis

Envisioning Life Without Roe: Lessons Without Borders

Guttmacher Policy Review
Policy Analysis

Lessons from Before Roe: Will Past be Prologue?

Guttmacher Policy Review

Monthly State Policy Updates

Get an overview of state legislative and policy activity in all topics of sexual and reproductive health.

Learn More

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

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

 

 

 

Maine

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

Maryland             X

Massachusetts

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

Michigan

X†

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi

   X†,Ψ

X

s 

 

 

 

 

Missouri

 

X

 

X

 

 

 

Nevada

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

New Mexico

XΩ

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York

 

 

 

 

 

 

X 

North Dakota

 

X

q

X

 

 

 

Ohio

 

 

 

X

 

 

 

Oregon

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

Oklahoma

X†

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhode Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

X 

South Dakota

 

X

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee

 

X

 

 

 X

 

 

Texas

q

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah

 

X 

q

 

 

 

 

Vermont

 

 

 

 

 

X 

 

Washington

 

 

 

 

 

 

X

West Virginia

X†

 

 

 

X 

 

 

Wisconsin

X†

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

9

10

0

7

3

2 + 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 woman.
‡   Law includes an exception to protect the health of the woman.
Ψ  Law includes an exception in cases of rape.
Ω  Law does not apply in cases when necessary to protect the life of the woman, when necessary to preserve the physical health or mental health of the woman, when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or when the fetus may be born with defects.

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