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The State’s Commitment to Reproductive Justice
Illinois continues to lead the way forward in protecting and promoting reproductive health in Illinois—standing up for the right to choose and against continued efforts to deny women their autonomy. Governor Pritzker and other Illinois leaders have been working to protect reproductive rights and access in Illinois since well before the Dobbs decision. Examples of these efforts include:
Illinois' Reproductive Healthcare Actions at a Glance
A quick view of how Illinois has worked to protect reproductive rights and expand access to reproductive healthcare. More detail on these efforts is provided below.
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Laws and initiatives protecting reproductive healthcare decisions and access.
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Protections for patients, providers and people who help others access lawful reproductive healthcare.
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Improve navigation and expand access through campuses, pharmacies and birth centers.
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Allow qualified APRNs and physician assistants to provide abortion care within their scope of practice.
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Support reproductive healthcare through funding, reimbursement and provider training.
Illinois Actions in Detail
The sections below provide more detail on the laws, protections, programs and investments highlighted on this page.
Protecting Reproductive Rights
Joining the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a non-partisan group of state Governors focused on working alongside one another to identify best practices for legislative and executive action to protect reproductive rights.
Enacting the Reproductive Health Act to enshrine in Illinois law a fundamental right for people to make their own decisions about their reproductive health
Repealing Illinois’s Parental Notice of Abortion Law that required youth under 18 to notify their parents or seek judicial approval to access abortion care
Ensuring that, under Illinois law, the stabilizing emergency care includes abortion care where necessary
Amending many existing provisions of law, such as the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, to ensure they could not be misused to limit access to reproductive healthcare
Clarifying that the Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on reproductive health decisions.
Protecting Patients, Providers and the People Who Help Access Care
- Passing a shield law to limit cooperation with out-of-state attempts to interfere with lawful health care in Illinois by:
- Protecting the Illinois license of health care professionals who have been disciplined in another state for providing health care that is lawful in Illinois.
- Prohibiting health care institutions from discriminating against health care providers based on being disciplined by another state for providing health care that would be lawful in Illinois.
Expanding temporary licensure for out-of-state health care providers and clarifying their ability to provide telehealth
Limiting civil subpoenas from other states
Limiting criminal summons, subpoenas and orders from other states
Restricting the Governor’s ability to extradite a person for criminal charges based on reproductive healthcare
Requiring courts to apply Illinois law in cases involving reproductive health care
Creating a cause of action for individuals who have a judgment entered against them for providing reproductive health care that is lawful in Illinois to bring a lawsuit
Restricting state and local cooperation with out-of-state or federal attempts to interfere with health care that is lawful in Illinois.
Protecting health care professionals from adverse action by professional liability insurers for providing health care that is lawful in Illinois
Reducing the collection and potential sharing of data relating to reproductive health care including by:
- Amending abortion reporting requirements
- Clarifying that health records are exempt from disclosure pursuant to FOIA
- Restricting the sharing of data collected by Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs)
Making Reproductive Healthcare More Affordable
Becoming the first state in the nation to extend full Medicaid medical benefits for a full 12 months post-partum
Launching the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Family Planning Program to expand coverage of family planning services for individuals not otherwise eligible for Medicaid – including presumptive eligibility, allowing for temporary immediate coverage
Ensuring that Illinois Medicaid covers abortion care
- Requiring Illinois-regulated private insurance plans to provide coverage for abortion care at no-cost to the consumer, including for advance provision of abortion medication regardless of whether the patient is currently pregnant.
Providing for Medicaid and Illinois-regulated private insurance plans to cover contraception, including 12-month dispensing of contraception at one time
Making it Easier to Find a Place to Get Care
Partnering with hospitals and clinic-based providers to help ensure timely care for patients with complex medication situations through the Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access
Funding navigation services for people seeking access to abortion in Illinois.
Requiring Illinois public university campuses with student health services to make medication abortion available on campus
Requiring Illinois public university campuses to make emergency contraception available to students at wellness kiosks on campuses
Allowing patients to receive hormonal birth control over the counter from a pharmacist
Expanding Who Can Provide Reproductive Health Care
Allowing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Physician Assistants to perform abortions consistent with their training and within their scope of practice.
Investing in the Reproductive Healthcare Sector to Serve More Patients
Launching the Prairie State Access Fund with Michael Reese Health Trust to support the infusion of private philanthropic funding for the Illinois reproductive healthcare landscape
Increasing funding to protect reproductive healthcare access in Illinois to counteract the federal defunding of Planned Parenthood
Expanding Title X funds to support family planning services
Partnering with organizations to provide grants for abortion training and provider learning collaboratives through the Illinois Department of Public Health