SB449 Constitutional amendment; fundamental right to reproductive freedom(submitting to qualified voters).

↑Expands abortion access model confidence 95%

Amends the state constitution to establish a fundamental right to reproductive freedom that includes abortion care, with a high bar for any restrictions and explicit protections against penalties for abortion, so more legal access to abortion.

That every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one's own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.

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↑Expands abortion access model confidence 80%

Allows the Commonwealth to regulate abortion care in the third trimester but prohibits bans when a physician judges it necessary to protect the pregnant individual's life or health or when the fetus is not viable, so less restrictive than a total third-trimester ban.

Notwithstanding the above, the Commonwealth may regulate the provision of abortion care in the third trimester, provided that in no circumstance shall the Commonwealth prohibit an abortion (i) that in the professional judgment of a physician is medically indicated to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual or (ii) when in the professional judgment of a physician the fetus is not viable.

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↑Expands abortion access model confidence 85%

Requires that any state restriction on abortion must serve a compelling interest achieved by the least restrictive means, and explicitly protects abortions to safeguard life or health and nonviable pregnancies, so broader legal access to abortion.

An individual's right to reproductive freedom shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.

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↑Expands abortion access model confidence 75%

Prohibits the Commonwealth from penalizing or prosecuting individuals for aiding or assisting another in exercising reproductive freedom with consent, which would protect those helping with out-of-state abortions, so more legal access to abortion.

The Commonwealth shall not penalize, prosecute, or otherwise take adverse action against any individual for aiding or assisting another individual in exercising such other individual's right to reproductive freedom with such other individual's voluntary consent.

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↑Expands abortion access model confidence 70%

Limits state regulation of abortion care to only what maintains or improves health consistent with clinical standards and evidence-based medicine without infringing autonomous decision making, so fewer restrictions on providers.

For the purposes of this section, a state interest is compelling only if it is for the limited purpose of maintaining or improving the health of an individual seeking care, consistent with accepted clinical standards of care and evidence-based medicine, and does not infringe on that individual's autonomous decision making.

✓ Quote verified word for word in the bill text