Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) reintroduced the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act with Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and more than 128 original co-sponsors.  Her legislation, which passed the House in the 117th Congress, protects the constitutional right to travel between the states, including for the purpose of getting reproductive health care.  The reintroduction comes on the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and which has allowed states across the country to ban or limit abortion and interfere with women’s ability to travel outside of their own states for the reproductive health care they need.  Congresswoman Fletcher is Vice Chair and Whip of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. 

“Three years after the Dobbs decision, my home state of Texas remains in a health care crisis that affects women and families across our state,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.  “Like those in other the eighteen other states where access to abortion has been outlawed, Texans who are able to do so have been forced to travel out of state to obtain the reproductive health care they need.  In response to this exercise of the constitutional right to travel between the states and engage in legal activities there, lawmakers and others in Texas—and in states across the country—have been  threatening to take away that right, too.  We cannot let that happen in any state in the United States of America.

“To that end, I am glad to reintroduce the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act with Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, Congressman Jamie Raskin, and more than 128 of our colleagues as original co-sponsors,” Congresswoman Fletcher continued.  I look forward to continuing our work together to protect the health, privacy, dignity, and freedom of women and families across our country.”

“In 2022, we saw the Supreme Court end a woman’s right to reproductive choice, and states have followed suit with even greater attempts to limit women’s reproductive health care.  Impeding a woman’s right to travel for care is an assault on her freedom,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland.  “This bill reaffirms that Constitutional right, and I am proud to stand with my colleagues as we stand up for what’s just and right.”

“Because the Supreme Court dismantled the constitutional right to abortion, it is critical now to protect the right to travel across state lines to obtain health care.  Our bill will protect patients and health care workers and safeguard women’s basic constitutional freedoms against Orwellian control by Trump and authoritarian MAGA extremists,” said Congressman Jamie Raskin.  “We are fighting to be one pro-choice nation again but, in the meantime the right of all Americans to travel the nation must be protected.”

If enacted, the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act would:

• Prohibit any person acting under color of state law from restricting or impeding
• A person’s constitutional right to travel across state lines for the purpose of obtaining a lawful abortion;
• A person or entity’s ability to assist an individual in traveling across state lines for the purpose of obtaining a lawful abortion; and
• Any health care provider in providing or otherwise enabling lawful abortion services in that state.
• Empower the Attorney General to bring a civil action for declaratory and injunctive relief against any person who is in violation of this law.
• Create a private right of action for any person harmed a violation of this law to obtain declaratory and injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys’ fees.

In 2022, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Congresswoman Fletcher introduced the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act.  One week later, it passed the House after receiving overwhelming support with more than 180 co-sponsors and endorsements from 13 organizations.  Congresswoman Fletcher reintroduced the bill in 2023.

Congresswoman Fletcher has led several other efforts to protect access to abortion.  She introduced the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act with Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland to establish a grant program to help ease the financial burden of women and families being forced to travel to access abortion care.

Last Congress, Congresswoman Fletcher also introduced the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act with Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18) to reaffirm that the abortion pill was appropriately approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Additionally that year, she introduced the Reproductive Health Care Training Act to ensure that medical students in states like Texas, where abortion is effectively eliminated, can travel out of state to receive training and education in abortion care.

As efforts to undermine reproductive freedom have increased since the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, including the temporary suspension of in vitro fertilization procedures in Alabama, Congresswoman Fletcher has continued advocating for the legalization of abortion in all 50 states.

To view the full text of the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, click here.