Padilla Marks Fourth Anniversary of Dobbs with Bill to Support Travel for Reproductive Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) in introducing the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act to support organizations that assist women who are forced to travel to seek abortion services. This legislation was introduced on the fourth anniversary of Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization, in which the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, severely restricting access to abortion for millions in the United States.

The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act would establish a grant program, authorized at $350 million per year for FY27 through FY31, to help ease the financial burden associated with traveling long distances to access safe reproductive healthcare.

"Republicans' cruel assault on reproductive healthcare has left millions of women with no option but to travel out of state for the care they need," said Senator Padilla. "The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act will help ease that burden by reducing the cost of travel for people seeking reproductive healthcare out-of-state. We must protect every American's right to access reproductive healthcare, regardless of where they live."

"Four years ago, Donald Trump, Republicans, and an activist Supreme Court walked our country backwards and stripped women in America of the right to control their lives. For 18-months in Wisconsin, we saw the deadly fallout from the Dobbs decision as women were forced to bleed out in parking lots, develop life-threatening infections, or travel hours across state lines just to get the health care they needed," said Senator Baldwin. "We need to restore these rights and freedoms for Americans, but until we do, it's essential that women can still get the abortion care they need and have the ability to control their bodies. I'm proud to lead this bill to help Americans overcome barriers to care and ensure no woman is left without somewhere to turn in their time of crisis."

"Republicans' nonstop attacks on reproductive health care are threatening women's health across the country. From forcing women to carry dangerous pregnancies to term, to defunding clinics that provide legal abortion care-it is clear as day that the Republicans' goal has always been a nationwide abortion ban," said Senator Murray. "Which is why Senator Baldwin and I are continuing to fight to ensure women have access to reproductive health care, no matter where they live. This bill will make sure women can freely travel between states for health care. Every woman deserves to have control over her own body and make her own health care decisions. We will keep fighting to restore women's reproductive freedom across the country."

Specifically, the bill would allow the Treasury Secretary to award grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses and logistical support for individuals accessing abortion services. In making grants available, the Secretary must:

• Prioritize entities that serve people who live in a jurisdiction that has banned or severely restricted access to abortion
• Serve those who travel to a jurisdiction other than the one where they live to be provided abortion services
• Have a program in operation that helps patients access abortion services

The bill would require the Secretary submit a report to Congress on this effort. The bill also includes a provision protecting federal officials administering the program from being forced to cooperate in anti-abortion investigations, prosecutions, or civil lawsuits.

In addition to Padilla, Baldwin, and Murray, the bill is co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.).

Padilla is a staunch defender of reproductive rights and is fighting to protect abortion access throughout the United States. In 2023, he and Murray introduced legislation to protect doctors who provide abortions from attempts to restrict their practice and create uncertainty about their legal liability. While Republican-led state legislatures work to deny reproductive rights, he's also fighting to protect patients' right to travel freely between states to access abortion care.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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