OLYMPIA – With the fundamental right to reproductive care increasingly under siege nationwide, Washington reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding access with the signing of House Bill 2115 into law yesterday.
Healthcare providers are facing a surge in harassment and violence, compounded by the misuse of identifying information on medication labels, leading to targeted harassment of pharmacists and doctors. This hostile environment is prompting many providers to withdraw from serving certain patients, jeopardizing the fundamental right to reproductive care.
The erosion of access to reproductive care threatens the well-being of countless individuals, particularly those in low-income and overburdened communities, as well as out-of-state patients seeking care in Washington.
Introduced by Representative My-Linh Thai (D-Bellevue), House Bill 2115 offers a vital solution by allowing the use of a clinic’s name on medication labels in place of the practitioner’s name where abortion medicine is both prescribed and dispensed. This measure provides a crucial layer of anonymity, empowering providers to feel safer in their practice and reducing intimidation.
“Just this week, we learned that challenges to accessing the abortion medication, mifepristone, will be heard before the US Supreme Court” said Rep. Thai. “The mounting threats to reproductive rights and healthcare remind us how urgently needed these protections are. House Bill 2115 emerges as a beacon of protection for providers and patients alike, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to equitable access to healthcare.”
Learn more about HB 2115 by clicking here or on the image below.
