At White House Panel, Jaquez Lewis Discusses Colorado’s Landmark Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package
Senator sponsored legislation to establish protections from criminal prosecutions for receiving, providing, or assisting with legally-protected health care
WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, took part in a panel at the White House today on reproductive rights and state-level efforts to secure access to care and Colorado’s Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package.
Jaquez Lewis joined state lawmakers from Connecticut, New York, and Illinois to discuss legislation aimed at protecting providers and patients, including through interstate shield protections, provider licensing, and measures to address anti-abortion centers (AACs).
“Colorado is a leader when it comes to protecting access to reproductive and gender affirming care, and it was an honor to share more about the critical work Colorado has been doing to keep patients and providers safe at the White House today,” Jaquez Lewis said. “We designed the Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package to protect the rights and privacy of patients and providers seeking abortion or gender affirming care, prohibit deliberate health care misinformation in our communities, and make it easier and more affordable for folks to access the health care they need to thrive. I am proud to be a part of the coalition that got these bills across the finish line in Colorado, and I am excited to continue our work to break down the barriers that stand in the way of getting our communities the care they need.”
Jaquez Lewis sponsored SB23-188, which establishes protections from criminal prosecutions for receiving, providing, or assisting with legally-protected health care – including abortion and gender-affirming care – ensuring these overreaching interstate actions will not be recognized by the state of Colorado. SB23-188 is part of Colorado Democrats’ Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package that ensures people in Colorado are free to access essential and affirming health care, including abortion and gender-affirming care.
The Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package also includes SB23-189, which improves access to reproductive health care, including abortion, and makes reproductive health care more equitable by limiting surprise medical billing and removing patient cost sharing for reproductive health care services and treatment, including but not limited to sterilization, sexually transmitted infections and abortion care.
It also includes SB23-190, which protects Coloradans seeking reproductive health care by prohibiting the use of deceptive advertising by AACs. The bill makes it a deceptive trade practice to share information or advertise providing abortion care, emergency contraceptives or referrals of either of these services when the service is not actually provided. This bill also clarifies it is a deceptive practice to advertise providing a “medication abortion reversal."