Murphy Expanding 'Reproductive Health Care' In New Jersey

By Morgan Sweeney | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square New Jersey

May 20, 2022

(The Center Square) – Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and other state legislators want to ensure that New Jerseyans continue to have access to abortions, even if a Supreme Court decision overturns the landmark 1973 case of Roe v. Wade.

“Despite the erosion of women’s rights nationally, New Jersey will remain a state in which women will not be forced by their government into childbirth against their will,” said Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, D-Jersey City, a sponsor of the bill.

Murphy announced earlier this month that he is going to continue to push for legislation that increases New Jerseyans’ access to abortive procedures, in addition to what a recent press release called “the historic legislation” he signed into law in January of 2022 that “protect[ed] the constitutional right to freedom of reproductive choice in New Jersey."

January’s legislation ensures that women in New Jersey can continue to terminate pregnancies, if they so desire, and easily obtain many forms of contraception. The proposed bill contains several provisions to make abortions more affordable and readily available to residents across the state.
First, it would require private insurers to cover abortions without cost-sharing (like paying a deductible or coinsurance), making the procedure free for the client. It would also expand the number of medical professionals legally permitted to perform abortions from just physicians to advanced practice nurses, midwives, and physicians.

The bill would also protect both those seeking and those providing abortions from legal retaliation by another state whose abortion laws are more stringent than New Jersey. Public entities would be prohibited from sharing information about patients’ abortions with interstate investigations. The legislation would also provide recourse for those who were sued in another state for their involvement in abortion-related activities, enabling the defendant to legally recover damages from the initial lawsuit.

The governor also wants to create a new fund to continue to support efforts to make abortion services widely accessible in the Garden State. The Reproductive Health Access Fund would assist uninsured and underinsured women in paying for abortive procedures. It would also supply “clinical training grants” to health-care providers looking to expand their abortion services. Lastly, the fund would also contribute to security measures for “at-risk health care sites.”
“As women and their right to choose come under attack across the country,” said Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, “New Jersey must remain a beacon of hope for reproductive freedom in the U.S.”

The focus of the work of The Center Square New Jersey is state and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility.