Trenton – Senator John Burzichelli introduced legislation that would establish a Reproductive Health Travel Advisory to provide New Jersey residents with information about restrictions on reproductive health care in other states. The advisory would warn those planning to travel to other states of the limitations and prohibitions on reproductive services.
“Women are needlessly forced to suffer through traumatic near-death experiences, sometimes bleeding out in hospital parking lots, after being refused routine lifesaving medical care,” said Senator Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland).
More than 100 pregnant women in medical distress who sought help in different states were turned away or negligently treated since 2022, according to an Associated Press analysis. The recent deaths of two women in Georgia have been tied to a state law that mostly bans abortion after roughly six weeks. The Georgia law “created so much fear and confusion that I couldn’t get the care I needed,” said Yasmein Ziyad after being denied treatment during a miscarriage.
“New Jersey has done a good job of protecting reproductive rights, but that isn’t the case in many other states,” said Senator Burzichelli. “The Supreme Court’s decision reversing Roe v. Wade led to a cascade of restrictions and prohibitions on reproductive care in many states that can put pregnant individuals at risk. We can’t change the laws in other states, but we can give our residents the information they need to make informed decisions before they travel.”
Senator Burzichelli’s legislation, S-3663, would have the New Jersey Department of State establish the Reproductive Health Travel Advisory as the source of information describing the policies on reproductive care in each state. The information would include gestational duration bans, required waiting periods, prohibitions on insurance coverage, restrictions on medication abortion, constitutional protections, the availability of abortion funding, as well as criminal and civil liabilities for patients and healthcare providers.
“Thankfully, most pregnancies are safe and uneventful, but medical emergencies can occur in states with overly restrictive laws that prevent necessary treatment,” said Senator Burzichelli. “People should be able to protect their health and safety by making informed decisions before traveling to states that restrict access to reproductive medical care. They don’t want to be in a place where they are denied vital treatment in a time of need.”
The advisory would include color-coded information based on the severity of restrictions in each state:
- “Blue: Exercise normal caution” – signifying that people have access to all forms of reproductive medical care without fear of civil or criminal prosecution;
- “Yellow: Exercise increased caution” – meaning restricted access to reproductive medical care that could result in civil or criminal prosecution; and,
- “Red: Reconsider travel” – warning of extremely restricted access to reproductive care that could result in an adverse medical outcome, individuals being subject to civil or criminal prosecution, and those seeking emergency medical treatment being denied potentially life-saving care due to state law.
The travel advisory would be published on the Department of State’s website in a prominent location and be updated to reflect changes in the laws, regulations and policies of the respective states, according to the bill.