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Highlights

  • Roe v. Wade Overturned
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  • Guttmacher-Lancet Commission
  • U.S. policy resources
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As of July 1, 2022 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 pregnant person.

Visit our state legislation tracker for policy activity on all sexual and reproductive health topics.

Highlights

  • 22 states have laws that could be used to restrict the legal status of abortion.
    • 7 states retain their unenforced, pre-Roe abortion bans. None are in effect as of July 1.
    • 13 states have post-Roe laws to ban all or nearly all abortions that would be triggered if Roe were overturned. Some of these bans are in effect and this fact sheet has the list of states banning abortion.
    • 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.
    • 4 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.
  • 16 states and the District of Columbia have laws that protect the right to abortion.  
    • 4 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 pregnant person.
    • 5 states have protections for abortion providers, and in some cases individuals that support patients, from the reach of out-of-state abortion restrictions and bans.

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For more information

  • Public Policy Office

    202-296-4012
    [email protected]

Topic

United States

  • Abortion: State Policies on Abortion

Geography

  • Northern America: 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

Report

Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2017

Fact Sheet

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

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

Expressed intent to limit abortion to maximum extent permitted

Constitution explicitly does not secure right to abortion

Throughout pregnancy

Prior to viability

Alabama

   X†,‡

 

 

X

 

 

Arizona

 X†

 

 

 

 

 

Arkansas

X

 X♌︎

X

 

 

 

California

 

 

 

 

 

X⌘

Colorado

 

 

 

 

 X

 

Connecticut

 

 

 

 

 

X⌘

Delaware

 

 

 

 

 

X⌘

District of Columbia

 

 

 

 

 X

 

Georgia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawaii

 

 

 

 

 

X

Idaho

 

X

       

Illinois

 

 

 

 

 

X 

Iowa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas

 

 

X

 

 

 

Kentucky

 

s

X

 

 

 

Louisiana

 

X

X

X

 

 

Maine

 

 

 

 

 

X

Maryland           X

Massachusetts

 

 

 

 

 

X

Michigan

s†

 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi

   X†,Ψ

X

 

 

 

 

Missouri

 

X

X

 

 

 

Nevada

 

 

 

 

 

X

 

New Jersey

 

 

 

 

X

 

 

New Mexico

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York

 

 

 

 

 

X⌘ 

North Carolina

 

 

 

 

 

 

North Dakota

 

X

X

 

 

 

Ohio

 

 

X

 

 

 

Oregon

 

 

 

 

X

 

Oklahoma

X†

 X♌︎

 

 

 

 

Rhode Island

 

 

 

 

 

X 

South Carolina

           

South Dakota

 

X

 

 

 

 

Tennessee

 

X

 

 X

 

 

Texas

q

X

 

 

 

 

Utah

 

s

 

 

 

 

Vermont

 

 

 

 

X 

 

Washington

 

 

 

 

 

X⌘

West Virginia

X†

 

 

X 

 

 

Wisconsin

 X†

 

 

 

 

 

Wyoming

 

X

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

7

13

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.
♌︎  State bans abortion through a different law.
⌘  Law limits the effect of out-of-state abortion restrictions and bans on abortion providers in the state and in some states these protections also extend to individuals that provide information on abortion and logistical and financial assistance to patients.

 

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