Washington state Democratic Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill into law on Thursday that prohibits legal action against people seeking an abortion, rivaling Texas' abortion ban after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill also acts as an amendment to include "inclusive" terminology which states that women are not the only individuals that can get pregnant.
House Bill 1851, which takes effect in June, prohibits the state from taking any action against an individual seeking to end their pregnancy or for assisting someone who is pregnant in obtaining an abortion.
The legislation is in response to the Texas "Heartbeat Act" which bans abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected which usually occurs around the sixth week of pregnancy. The enforcement of the law is left up to private citizens, who can collect $10,000 or more if they bring a successful lawsuit against a provider or anyone who helps a patient obtain an abortion after the sixth week.
Gov. Inslee just signed #HB1851 to protect the right to safe, reliable abortion care in Washington while ending unnecessary restrictions on qualified providers. #waleg pic.twitter.com/iVVcK8kGEZ
— WA Senate Democrats (@WASenDemocrats) March 17, 2022
During the Thursday presser, Inslee announced that the legislation was in response to conservative states passing similar legislation to Texas, specifically Idaho who recently signed into law allowing the father, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles of a "preborn child" to each sue an abortion provider for a minimum of $20,000 in damages if they terminate a pregnancy after six weeks.
"We know this bill is necessary because this is a perilous time for the ability of people to have the freedom of choice that they have enjoyed for decades," Gov Inslee said during the presser.
"To the citizens of Idaho, if Idaho will not stand up for your constitutional rights, we will," Inslee added before signing the bill.
In addition to Inslee protecting abortion after the heartbeat is detected, the Washington state legislation also features an amendment to make the language of the bill more "inclusive," changing the wording from "woman" to "pregnant individual."
The amendment reads, "Although the abortion rights movement has historically centered on women in our advocacy, that must no longer be the case and it is critical that we recognize that transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive people also get pregnant and require abortion care. Washington's law should reflect the most inclusive understanding of who needs abortions and be updated with gender neutral language."
The Supreme Court of Texas voted unanimously last week to strike down a challenge to Senate Bill 8, dealing a blow to pro-abortion advocates. As a result, the "Heartbeat Act" will remain Texas law for the foreseeable future.
Because conservative states are signing stricter abortion policies into law, Jennifer Allen, CEO of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said that there will be a focus to increase abortion providers in Washington state due to an expected influx in demand from states like Idaho, KOMO News reports.
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