FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2023
CONTACT:
Ashley Moore,
Chief of Staff to Senate President Pro Tempore
amoore@leg.state.vt.us
Senator Ginny Lyons
vlyons@leg.state.vt.us
Senator Ruth Hardy
rhardy@leg.state.vt.us
VERMONT SENATE PASSES S.37, ABORTION AND GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE ‘SHIELD BILL’
MONTPELIER, VT – Today the Vermont Senate gave final approval to S.37, known as the “shield bill,” which would provide protections to patients and providers who administer or receive reproductive and gender-affirming care in Vermont. The bill will now move to the House for further consideration.
“The Dobbs decision last summer upended our national understanding of reproductive autonomy,” said Senator Ginny Lyons, chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare and lead sponsor of the bill. “The result has been absolutely turbulent and sometimes terrifying. It’s an upheaval of our social fabric across our country and Vermont must continue to do everything in our power to protect access to reproductive and gender-affirming care at the state level.”
“As states across the country attempt to criminalize reproductive and gender-affirming care, shield laws like S.37 provide essential protections to providers and patients who administer or access care in our state,” said Senator Ruth Hardy, member of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare and co-lead sponsor of the bill.
This bill would safeguard providers who provide abortion care and gender-affirming care, prevent insurance companies from raising rates for providers who provide abortion care and require pregnancy centers to adhere to Vermont’s consumer protection laws meant to protect patients from deceptive advertising.
“State-level protections have become even more critical in the wake of the Dobbs decision,” said Senator Baruth. “It’s essential that we do everything we can to protect and promote gender-affirming care and reproductive justice.”
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You can learn more about S.37, an act relating to access to legally protected health care activity and regulation of health care providers, as passed by the Senate, on the legislative website.