Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Subcommittee advances bill to protect contraception access; panel split 5–3
Loading...
Summary
HB 6 would bar state and local governments from restricting access to contraception drugs and devices and protect providers who assist patients, framing contraception separately from abortion. The measure drew organized support from reproductive-health groups and opposition from religious organizations; the subcommittee reported the bill 5–3.
Delegate Price introduced HB 6 to codify a person's right to contraception and prevent state or local actors from restricting access to contraceptive drugs and devices. The sponsor emphasized that contraception is distinct from abortion and said the bill would protect access to methods used to prevent pregnancy and to treat certain medical conditions.
Supporters included Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Opponents such as the Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists and the Virginia Catholic Conference raised multiple concerns: one witness argued the bill's text could be read to include abortifacients and to allow minors to obtain contraceptives without parental consent; the Catholic Conference also raised questions about the bill’s definition of "health care provider," contending that the citation could encompass nonphysician practitioners in ways that would permit direct access by minors to contraceptives.
The subcommittee moved to report HB 6 and recorded the vote 5–3. The sponsor and supporters said the measure protects access while opponents urged amendments to narrow definitions and safeguard conscience rights.
