Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate holds public hearing on SB 5321 to expand medication-abortion access at public colleges; testimony sharply divided
Summary
Senate committee heard staff briefing and more than two dozen public witnesses on SB 5321, which would require student health centers at public institutions to provide medication abortion access or referrals; supporters stressed access and safety, opponents raised moral, safety and data-privacy concerns.
The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee opened and closed a public hearing today on Senate Bill 5321, which would require student health centers at public institutions of higher education to offer access to medication abortion beginning in the 2026–27 academic year or provide information and referral services if a campus lacks a health center.
Kelly Gunn, staff to the committee, summarized the bill: it applies to six baccalaureate institutions and 34 community and technical colleges and would require institutions with health centers to offer medication-abortion access either through an existing public program or other delivery methods such as telehealth; campuses without health centers must provide referral information. Gunn also noted a partial fiscal note was available and that further analysis including community and technical colleges was underway.
Senator Tawana Nobles, prime sponsor of…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
