Vermont Business Magazine Facing ongoing federal attacks on sexual and reproductive health care providers, Vermont lawmakers have taken bold, decisive action. With Governor Scott’s signature, S.28 is now law, reinforcing Vermont’s steadfast commitment to protecting both patients and providers of legally protected health care, including abortion and gender-affirming care. Scott signed S.28 into law Tuesday.
- S.28, An act relating to access to certain legally protected health care services
S.28 enhances Vermont’s Shield Law in four key ways:
- Reciprocal protections for legally protected health care providers visiting Vermont from other shield states.
- Allows for the removal of prescriber and pharmacist name from prescription labels for non-controlled substances used for medication abortion and gender-affirming care. This will provide an additional layer of protection from litigation in ban states.
- Asynchronous telehealth access, via adaptive questionnaire for medication abortion, expanding access to care.
- Puts all advertising about health care services under state consumer protection law and broadens professional regulation standards for all health care providers. Truth in medical advertisement and counseling is foundational to the trust and well-being of our entire medical system.
Statement from Jessica Barquist, Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Planned Parenthood Vermont Action Fund
“The fall of Roe has had devastating and far-reaching consequences, disproportionately harming people who have always faced systemic barriers to care — communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, undocumented immigrants, young people, those living in rural communities, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes. These communities, and all of us, deserve a future where essential health care is accessible without fear, without shame, and without political interference.
There is no reproductive freedom if all people cannot live fully and authentically in their own bodies. The fight for abortion rights is the fight for trans rights, a fight we are unwaveringly committed to.
We applaud our lawmakers and Governor Scott for standing up and taking action to safeguard access to care. In the face of continued federal threats, Vermont remains committed to ensuring that abortion and gender-affirming care are safe, accessible, and protected for all.”
Background
Current Vermont Laws
Abortion is legal and constitutionally protected in Vermont.
Vermont’s previous shield legislation, H.89 (Act 14) and S.37 (Act 15), passed in 2023 and included:
- Added protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care by creating a civil action for damages if any person attempts to engage in abusive litigation that infringes on rights to reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care service (“legally protected health care”).
- Created a civil penalty for using force or threats or physical obstruction to injure, intimidate, or interfere with another person obtaining or providing reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services.
- Directs the Governor not to surrender a person charged in another state with engaging in or providing reproductive health care services or gender-affirming health care services.
- Required medical insurance plans to cover abortion and abortion-related care with no cost sharing, as well as gender-affirming care. Also mandates gender affirming care and abortion care must be included in the State’s essential health benefits benchmark plan.
- Required higher educational institutions receiving state funds to create a plan to ensure student access to gender affirming care and abortion care.
Facts about abortion
Abortion is a medical procedure.
Medication abortion is safe, effective and legal.
- Medication abortion, also known as the “abortion pill,” commonly refers to the process of using two drugs to induce an abortion early in pregnancy. The two drugs are Mifepristone, which blocks the hormone progesterone and stops the pregnancy from continuing, and Misoprostol, which causes the uterus to empty.
- Both drugs are safe and effective and have been used by more than five million people to safely end their pregnancies. A complete description of the Mifepristone/Misoprostol medication abortion protocol can be viewed here.
Since the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling:
- Devastating consequences of abortion bans on patients, providers and communities have been well documented.
- 41 states have enacted either gestational bans or total bans on abortion care.
- 1 in 3 women of reproductive age in the United States live in a state where abortion care is banned or severely restricted.
- Pregnant people have died trying to access care that their doctors could not provide due to state laws including two mothers in Georgia and two women and a teenager in Texas.
- Political actors have broadened their attacks on basic rights and health care by attempting to restrict access to medication abortion, fertility treatments including in-vitro fertilization, birth control, gender-affirming care and more at both state and federal levels.
Using inclusive language when talking about abortion is essential. PPNNE & PPVTAF encourage the use of language that reflects the full spectrum of people who need abortion care. Cisgender women are not the only ones who require access. Non-binary, gender-expansive, and trans individuals who can become pregnant also need this care and our language should reflect that.
Instead of saying “women’s health care,” simply say “abortion.”
The Facts: Gender-Affirming Care
Care for transgender and non-binary people is safe and legal in Vermont. It is lifesaving, essential health care provided in accordance to state and federal laws and medical standards of care.
Transgender medical care is individualized, age appropriate, established medical care, delivered according to professional standards of care.
The professional standards of care for transgender adolescents have been endorsed as safe and effective and adopted by all major U.S. medical and mental health associations including, but not limited to:
- The American Medical Association
- The American Academy of Pediatrics
- The American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
- The American Psychiatric Association
- The American Psychological Association
- The Endocrine Society
- The Pediatric Endocrine Society
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) is the largest provider of reproductive and sexual health care across the State of Vermont. We serve Vermont residents through 7 health centers in St. Johnsbury, Rutland, Brattleboro, Barre, Burlington, Williston, and White River Junction. Last year we saw more than 16,000 patients at these sites. PPNNE was named a 2021 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey, the national leader in health care consumer and workforce engagement. Press Ganey recognizes PPNNE as a top-performing health care organization, achieving the 95th percentile or above for performance in patient experience, out of more than 20,000 medical practices.
5.14.2025. (Montpelier, Vermont)-Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. www.ppnne.org
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