Colorado law would require colleges to hand out abortion pills

Starting in August 2027, Colorado will require public schools and universities to provide access to abortion drugs. If schools do not have pharmacies, the medicine will have to be made available at student health centers or prescribed to an off-campus pharmacy.

Democrat Gov. Jared Polis signed the bill into law last week, Axios reported. This comes amid the Trump administration's crackdown on federal funding for abortion medications.

House Bill 1335 states that institutions are allowed to opt out if it "would jeopardize an institution's federal grant participation, require the institution to deviate from generally accepted billing practices, modify the generally accepted standards of medical practice, or conflict with the institution's sincerely held religious beliefs or practices."

The University of Denver plans to comply with the state's new law and will offer abortion medication at its Health and Counseling Center. Assistant Vice Chancellor of Health and Wellness, Michael LaFarr, told the outlet that staff have already completed training for mifepristone use.

Metropolitan State University spokesperson Tim Carroll said the university plans to follow DU. He told Axios that while the Health Center at the Auraria campus does not offer abortion medications, the college will "comply" with the law when it goes into effect.

Last month, a US appeals court temporarily suspended federal regulations that permit the prescription of the abortion medication mifepristone through telemedicine and mail. The US Supreme Court has reinstated access through court proceedings. More than 60 percent of nationwide abortions are through medication, with mifepristone being one of the two most commonly used abortion drugs, data shows.

The abortion medications first became under investigation by the Trump administration last year, particularly access to the pills.