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Senate adopts amendment and passes bill saying 'abortion is not health care'; extends trigger to March 12, 2026
Summary
After hours of debate, the Wyoming Senate adopted a third‑reading amendment that states "abortion is not health care," then passed Senate File 125. Lawmakers split sharply over whether abortion should be characterized as health care or a taking of life.
Senators on Feb. 12 adopted an amendment and passed Senate File 125, a bill that, as amended, states that abortion is not health care and adjusts the bill's trigger date to March 12, 2026.
The amendment, moved on the floor as third‑reading amendment No. 1, was presented as a concise substitution that would “say what it is not” rather than attempt to redefine health care in statute. Senator Bonar moved adoption of the amendment; the Senate adopted it and then returned to final passage of the bill sponsored on third reading by Senator Steinmetz.
Why it matters: supporters said the language clarifies the Legislature’s intent and aligns state law with members’ views on life and medical practice; opponents said the change conflicts with existing constitutional language and with medical practice and could produce unintended effects for providers, insurers and patients.
During floor debate, Senator Bonar argued for the amendment, saying, “I think this gets right to the point. It says that abortion is not health care.” Senator Case pushed back, saying, “...abortion is health care, mister president.” Senator Salazar argued from the opposite position: “Abortion is the taking of human life. And for many of us, abortion is not healthcare.” Several other senators raised procedural and policy concerns, focusing on medical definitions, insurance impacts and how courts might treat legislative definitions that intersect with the Wyoming Constitution (Article I, Section 38) and pending federal and state judicial decisions.
The amendment also extended the bill’s trigger or effective date; the amendment language as presented moved the effective/trigger date to March 12, 2026, to avoid overlapping with next year’s budget session, per the amendment text read on the floor.
Formal action: the Senate adopted the amendment and then passed Senate File 125 on a roll call. The chief clerk recorded the final tally as 20 ayes, 6 noes, 1 excused. (The amendment itself was adopted on the floor before the final roll call on the bill.)
Supporters framed the change as a legislative clarification; opponents said reclassifying a medical procedure raises legal and practical questions that could affect providers, insurers and families and that ultimate interpretation may rest with the courts. Several speakers urged caution about legislating definitions that courts or the constitution might interpret differently.
Senate File 125 now moves to the next stage in the legislative process as required by statute.
