SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A plan moving in the Illinois Capitol could shield healthcare providers from being punished for prescribing medication abortion if President Donald Trump revokes FDA approval for the drugs.
FILE – A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Charlie Riedel
Sponsors said the Trump administration presents a national threat to reproductive healthcare access and Illinois needs laws in place to keep patients and providers safe. The measure would apply regardless of whether a patient is an Illinois resident or not.
Medication abortion would be protected under state laws as long as it is approved for use by the World Health Organization.
"Healthcare providers and experts deserve to be able to provide services without the fear of retaliation from other state governments hanging over their heads," Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) said Wednesday. "When we uplift healthcare providers, we are ensuring that patients can receive equitable, healthy, and safe care in a timely and professional manner."
The legislation passed out of the Senate Executive Committee on a partisan 8-4 vote Tuesday night. House Bill 3637 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.
If approved, it will return to the House on concurrence due to a technical amendment. The measure previously passed out of the House on a 67-39 vote.
"We have to stop this fort of breaking down all the safety mechanisms we have around abortion," said Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton). "There has to be some safety mechanisms, whether it be in the abortion clinic or it would be with abortion medications."
Copyright 2025. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
