Governor Shapiro Takes Additional Action to Protect a Woman’s Right to Choose | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA - Today, on the fourth anniversary of the landmark Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated a woman's Constitutional right to an abortion across the country, Governor Josh Shapiro is reaffirming his commitment to protecting access to reproductive health care across the Commonwealth.

Governor Shapiro has a proven track record of defending a woman's right to choose and protecting access to safe, legal abortion services while ensuring comprehensive reproductive health care remains available across Pennsylvania.

"Four years ago, Donald Trump's handpicked majority on the U.S. Supreme Court ripped away women's right to make decisions over their own body - but here in Pennsylvania, we continue to protect that fundamental freedom," said Governor Shapiro. "I've made very clear that I will veto any effort to restrict women's reproductive freedoms and I've directed our state agencies to implement policies that ensure every Pennsylvanian has access to the reproductive health care services they need. While Dobbs and federal cuts to reproductive care are limiting women's access, I want every Pennsylvanian to know that as long as I'm Governor, abortion will remain safe, legal, accessible here in our Commonwealth and I will continue using my authority to protect care."

Under the Governor's leadership, the Shapiro Administration is eliminating barriers to reproductive health care for women in Pennsylvania. Recently, the Department of Health (DOH) adopted current best practices from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and will allow providers to forgo a blood test for certain women seeking an abortion.

The Shapiro Administration is also working to update guidance documents to ensure the latest information is guiding reproductive health care services in Pennsylvania.

Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis' office will also engage providers and public safety leaders across the Commonwealth to discuss ways to keep health care workers, patients, and visitors safe at reproductive health care clinics.

Governor Shapiro has spent his career fighting to protect a woman's freedom to choose. As Governor, he has taken a number of bold actions, including:

• In February 2023, within weeks of taking office, Governor Shapiro joined a Reproductive Freedom Alliance with 23 other governors to safeguard abortion access, protect abortion providers, and affirm abortion rights. The Governor maintained former-Governor Tom Wolf's executive order ensuring that non-Pennsylvania residents seeking abortion care in Pennsylvania can do so without fear of being arrested or detained at the request of another state.
• In April 2023, less than three months after taking office, the Governor launched a website for reproductive health care resources to provide facts and information in the wake of a Texas court's ruling that sought to restrict access to medication abortions nationwide. Pennsylvania was a national leader in ensuring women know their rights, providing a one-stop-shop of tailored information about Finding A Provider, Making A Plan and How To Pay. That website continues to provide accurate information on reproductive health care options.
• In August 2023, the Shapiro Administration announced it was ending the Commonwealth's contract with Real Alternatives, an organization that used deceptive practices to mislead women during an emotionally-vulnerable time. Under the Department of Human Services (DHS), Pennsylvania now operates the Women's Service Program, which uses a regional set up to support pregnant women in an empathetic, culturally-informed way no matter their background, identity, or income.
• In January 2024, Pennsylvania joined a multi-state amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to maintain access to mifepristone and uphold the FDA's longstanding authority over drug approval and regulation.
• In July 2024, the Governor reaffirmed his commitment to equitable access to reproductive health care and advised the Commonwealth Court that DHS could not defend the state law banning Medicaid coverage for most abortion services.
  • In April 2026, the Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of the Administration's position when it recognized a fundamental right to reproductive autonomy and found that under Pennsylvania law, a state ban on Medicaid coverage for most instances of abortion care is unconstitutional.
• In September 2024, the Shapiro Administration increased reimbursement rates paid to providers for both preventive and reproductive health care services. The Governor secured an increase in the rates DHS pays for family planning services, and further notched a win when DHS was able to increase Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates for abortion services to better reflect the cost of administering services and align Pennsylvania with what other states pay. Pennsylvania's reimbursement rates to providers hadn't seen a significant update since the early 1990s.
• In August 2025, Governor Shapiro joined a coalition of states in filing a petition with the FDA to defend the safety and efficacy of mifepristone and push for greater access.
• In May 2026, the Governor announced that Pennsylvania joined a multistate amicus brief urging reversal of a federal appeals court decision that restricted access to medication abortion - which accounts for over 60 percent of all abortions - by blocking the mailing of mifepristone prescriptions.

Abortion remains safe, accessible, and legal in Pennsylvania. The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring that reproductive health care decisions are made by patients and their doctors - not politicians - and will continue to fight efforts that threaten access to care.