Bill > SB449

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to establish a fundamental right to reproductive freedom for every individual in Virginia, which will be voted on by qualified voters in the November 3, 2026, election. If approved, the amendment will protect individuals and their healthcare providers (doctors and nurses) from being penalized for decisions related to reproductive health care, including prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care. The amendment allows the state to regulate abortion access during the third trimester of pregnancy, but only if it is justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means, and it explicitly prohibits such restrictions when an abortion is medically indicated to protect the pregnant individual's life or physical or mental health, or when the fetus is not viable. The amendment also prohibits the state from discriminating in the protection or enforcement of this right and from penalizing or prosecuting individuals for exercising their reproductive freedom or for assisting others in doing so with voluntary consent. The amendment is designed to be self-executing, meaning it will take effect automatically if approved by voters, and any invalid parts will not affect the rest of the amendment.

Government Affairs

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB449