U.S. State Advocacy

In the U.S., anti-abortion lawmakers have enacted hundreds of state laws restricting abortion access over the past decade—and since the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, more than a dozen states have made abortion illegal. Such bans and restrictions disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and people of color, young people, people with disabilities, and those with low incomes or living in rural areas.   

In the states, the Center helps advance proactive laws and policies that expand access to abortion care, improve maternal health outcomes, and enhance access to assisted reproduction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other reproductive care. The Center supports state-level coalitions and works in partnership to defeat policies restricting access to reproductive health care, including abortion. In all 50 states, the Center’s State Policy and Advocacy Team tracks and analyzes abortion legislation, including bans, TRAP laws, waiting periods, method and reason bans, insurance coverage limits, and many others.  

The policy and advocacy team provides technical assistance such as legislative testimony, messaging, and strategy guidance to legislators, independent abortion providers, independent advocacy organizations, researchers, and other valuable stakeholders.  

The Center’s signature event, the State Leadership Summit, convenes state advocates, legislators and other leaders to share information, strategize, and build skills to promote proactive state policies to improve abortion access and maternal health outcomes.