Key Points on the Reproductive Freedom Act From New Jersey Catholic Conference
On October 8, 2020, the Reproductive Freedom Act S3030/A4848 was introduced in the New Jersey State Legislature. Currently, New Jersey has some of the most permissive abortion laws in the country. However, if the Reproductive Freedom Act becomes law, it would eliminate the state few abortion regulations intended to protect the life and health of the mother. Additionally, the Reproductive Freedom Act would:
- Explicitly guarantees every individual, regardless of residency, the fundamental right to reproductive autonomy, which includes contraception, the right to an abortion, and the right to carry a pregnancy to term;
- Enables all qualified healthcare professionals to provide abortion services in the state, including but not limited to physicians, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, certified midwife, or certified nurse midwife;
- Repeals current state laws and regulations that limits access to abortion services and contraception, including parental notification and partial birth abortion ban laws;
- Invalidates and prohibits the future adoption of all laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, resolutions, policies, standards or parts thereof that conflict with the provisions or the express or implied intent of the Reproductive Freedom Act;
- Establishes that a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of this state;
- Requires the legislature to allocate funding for abortion services and contraceptives in the annual state budget;
- Eliminates the requirement that an autopsy and medicolegal death investigation be conducted in a case where a fetal death occurs without medical attendance;
- Eliminates New Jersey’s longstanding conscience protection law for healthcare workers that do not want to perform or assist with abortions because doing so would violate their religious beliefs.
We are asking all Catholics to sign up for the New Jersey Catholic Conference Advocacy Network to receive advocacy alerts on this legislation.