Pa. House Judiciary Committee advances constitutional protection for reproductive rights
Rep. Tim Briggs October 22, 2025 | 4:27 PM
HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – State Rep. Tim Briggs, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, announced today that the committee approved an amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution to enshrine reproductive rights and privacy protections. The committee also reported six additional bills supporting access to reproductive health care, moving all seven measures to the full House for further consideration.
“Pennsylvanians deserve the freedom to make personal health care decisions without government interference,” Briggs said. “By advancing this constitutional amendment and these related bills, we are reaffirming that reproductive health care is a fundamental right — one that must be protected at the state level.”
House Bill 1957, sponsored by state Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, would amend the Pennsylvania constitution to guarantee the right to privacy and ensure that the commonwealth may not deny or interfere with reproductive freedom. The amendment explicitly protects an individual’s right to choose or refuse an abortion, contraception or fertility care – free from discrimination.
Other measures advancing from committee include:
- H.B 670 (Rep. Lindsay Powell): Establishes a state Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to ensure safe access to reproductive health care facilities.
- H.B. 1640 (Reps. Mary Jo Daley and Melissa Shusterman): Protects Pennsylvania health care providers offering reproductive services to out-of-state residents from insurance discrimination.
- H.B. 1641 (Daley and Shusterman): Prevents insurers from taking adverse actions against providers who deliver reproductive care to out-of-state patients.
- H.B. 1643 (Daley and Shusterman): Bars Pennsylvania courts from enforcing other states’ judgments related to reproductive health services.
- H.B. 1966 (Daley and Shusterman): Prohibits cooperation with out-of-state civil or criminal actions against individuals or providers involved in reproductive care.
- H.B. 2005 (Shusterman): Repeals the mandatory 24-hour waiting period and counseling requirements for those seeking an abortion.
“These bills work together to ensure Pennsylvania remains a place where reproductive decisions stay between patients and their doctors,” Briggs said. “This legislation reflects our commonwealth’s commitment to personal freedom, bodily autonomy, and access to essential health care.”
“Abortion is a safe, legal and sometimes life-saving medical procedure, and it must be accessible for all who need it,” said Shusterman, D-Chester. “These bills are steps toward removing burdens that pregnant women face when accessing abortion care.”