Governor Pritzker Signs Landmark Bill to Ensure Campus Access to Medication Abortion and Contraception

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Health

This morning, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed H.B. 3709, a groundbreaking law that makes Illinois the first state in the Midwest to guarantee that students at public colleges and universities can access medication abortion and contraception through campus health services. The law takes effect immediately, but the student access requirement applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year. Under H.B. 3709, public colleges and universities must provide access through student health centers, telehealth, or licensed external providers; and if a campus has a pharmacy, that pharmacy must dispense prescribed contraception and (where applicable) medication abortion.  The signing of H.B. 3709 comes at a critical moment, as young people across the country continue to face mounting restrictions on abortion access, especially in states where campus health centers are barred from providing care. Illinois now joins a small but growing number of states ensuring students can access abortion care where they live and learn. California was the first to enact a campus medication abortion law in 2019, with implementation beginning in 2023. Massachusetts followed in 2022, and New York in 2023. Despite these wins, awareness of services remains low, making strong implementation and outreach in Illinois essential.

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