Swain, Jasey & Mukherji Legislation to Protect New Jerseyans as States Prepare to React to Potential SCOTUS Decision on Roe v Wade Clears Full Assembly
Legislation further ensuring the protection of women’s reproductive health rights in New Jersey, sponsored by Assemblywomen Lisa Swain and Mila Jasey cleared the full Assembly on Wednesday.
The bills (A-3974 and A-3975) aim to protect medical professionals who provide reproductive healthcare services in violation of any other state’s laws and prohibit the use of extradition for such services. Both bills passed the Assembly 47-16-13.
“We acted in January of this year with a preemptive strike to ensure New Jersey women are not affected by the whims of Scotus and their overturning of Roe vs Wade,” said Assemblywoman Swain (D-Bergen, Passaic), who is the prime sponsor of both bills. “Women and their doctors are the only individuals necessary to make choices about their bodies and reproductive health. This legislation aims to protect medical professionals who provide reproductive healthcare services in New Jersey that is in violation of any other state’s laws and prohibits the use of extradition. We will continue to protect women and ensure they can make their own medical decisions partnered with their doctors.”
“Many states have already enacted laws that will prohibit a woman’s right to make personal decisions with her doctor about her health care,” said Assemblywoman Mila Jasey (D-Essex, Morris), who sponsors A-3974. “We’ve enacted to allow here in New Jersey to ensure women’s rights are protected. This legislation is another step.”
“With certain states taking radical steps such as allowing civil litigation against New Jersey physicians and healthcare personnel for providing reproductive healthcare and reaching outside their borders to criminalize travel to our state by women availing themselves of fundamental rights protected under New Jersey law, we must act to protect a woman’s control over her own bodily autonomy and future,” said Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson), a primary sponsor of both bills. “New Jersey will not extradite women or healthcare providers who are criminally charged under unjust, overreaching laws in another state for protected activities occurring within our state. New Jersey will protect the sacrosanct privacy of people’s medical records, and we will not cooperate with efforts to harass our medical providers through extraterritorial litigation for conduct occurring squarely within our borders which falls squarely within our laws.”
SCOTUS’ recently announced their decision to overturn the historic Supreme Court Case solidifying women’s reproductive rights throughout the nation, Roe v. Wade. In January, the Legislature and the Governor passed and signed the New Jersey Reproductive Freedom Act as a preemptive strike to ensure women maintained their autonomy over their reproductive health.
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