The Vermont House of Representatives this past Friday voted in favor of legislation that defines reproductive care and essential transgender health care as legally protected health care activity in the state.
The bill (H. 89), “An Act Relating to Civil and Criminal Procedures Concerning Legally Protected Health Care Activity,” seeks to protect individuals providing or seeking reproductive or transgender health care in Vermont from abusive civil or criminal litigation arising from another state. It also provides address confidentiality protections for providers and seekers of reproductive and transgender health care and increases penalties for threatening or using force against those providing or obtaining such legally protected care.
“As extremist forces in some states work to ban access to abortion and to essential healthcare for transgender people, we are grateful to the Vermont House for doing everything in its power to ensure that care remains protected here,” said Brenda Churchill of the LGBTQIA Alliance of Vermont liaison team.
“The LGBTQIA community is under increasing attack in state legislatures and in news stories promoting misinformation, and these attacks are taking a terrible toll, particularly on LGBTQIA young people,” added Keith Goslant, chair of the LGBTQIA Alliance of Vermont. “This legislation will not only protect access to vital health care for LGBTQIA people, it sends a clear message that Vermont proudly and strongly
supports our LGBTQIA family.”
“With this legislation, the Vermont House is displaying the state’s deep commitment to protecting access to vital evidence-based health care and setting a model for other states to follow,” said Polly Crozier, director of family advocacy at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).
— From a GLAD press release
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