As a constituent concerned with threats to reproductive health care access, I write to urge you to support a measure that will reaffirm the State of Illinois' commitment to ensuring access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion, for all women in the state.

Please support House Bill 40 when it comes up for a vote.

House Bill 40 repeals a dangerous "trigger" provision in the Illinois abortion law and affirms that Illinois has no intention of every going back to the pre-Roe days of illegal abortion. When Illinois passed the Illinois Abortion Law in 1975, it included what is known as a "trigger" provision, which states that if the U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns or modifies Roe v. Wade, Illinois will automatically turn back the clock to its pre-Roe law. By removing this provision, women's health care will be protected in Illinois, regardless of what happens to the Supreme Court in a Trump administration. There is simply too much risk in keeping the "trigger" language in our statute.

HB 40 also removes discriminatory provisions from Illinois law that deny insurance coverage of abortion to many women who depend on Medicaid and State Employee Health Insurance. Every woman, regardless of whether she has private or government-funded health insurance, should have affordable and comprehensive health coverage including coverage for abortion care.

When it comes to the most important decisions in life, like whether to become a parent, it is vital that a woman is able to consider all the options available to her. It is not up to lawmakers to interfere with her decision by withholding coverage. HB 40 is common sense policy that supports a woman's personal health care decisions.