The Democratic-controlled Oregon Senate approved a bill Wednesday requiring Oregon insurance companies to cover abortions, regardless of a patient’s income or citizenship status.
The bill, which contains some religious-based exemptions, passed in a 17-13 vote after being introduced in March when responding to attempts to repeal Obamacare, ABC News reported.
House Bill 3391 — “Reproductive Health Equity Act Of 2017” — now goes to Democratic Gov. Kate Brown for her signature.
The bill follows other attempts to limit liberal abortion laws. The Trump administration cut back on federal funding going to Planned Parenthood earlier this year, and the Texas Legislature passed a bill in May containing new abortion limits. (RELATED: Senate Health Care Bill Defunds Planned Parenthood)
Abortion are free if deemed “medically necessary” in some states, but the Oregon bill goes far beyond this provision by offering free abortions — including sex-selective and late-term abortions — to anyone, for any reason, at any time. Oregon has no restrictions on late-term abortions or parental consent.
The bill also allocates close to $500,000 to cover free abortions for immigrants who don’t qualify for Oregon’s Health Plan. The bill costs a whopping $10 million and guarantees coverage for family planning services and post-partum care.
“Unintended pregnancies can perpetuate cycles of poverty, and we can help stop it. It is a woman’s right to choose when and if she is ready in her life to have a child,” State Sen. Laurie Anderson said in support of the bill.
The bill also requires both federal and private companies to cover birth control, vasectomies, prenatal and post-partum care, domestic abuse counseling, and cervical and breast cancer screenings, as well as tests for STIs.
“We are both a sanctuary state for illegal aliens, and we are a sanctuary state for federally illegal, taxpayer subsidized abortion,” GOP State Sen. Dennis Linthicum said. “We should not be showering politically well-connected abortion clinics with political gift cards under the guise of ‘equity,’ that is totally discreditable.”
Brown is expected to sign the bill, making Oregon the first state to require free coverage for anyone who wants an abortion.
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