Know Your Reproductive Rights & Access Abortion Care

Americans overwhelmingly agree: women should have the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions. Politicians and judges should not interfere with these deeply personal choices.

However, since Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, women in Florida and across the entire Southeast have lost their reproductive freedom. I will always fight in Congress to restore your access to abortion, and until we restore safe, legal abortion nationwide, I want to make sure you understand your rights under current Florida and federal law.

Abortions are now banned in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy. Please review the resources below for information on your rights and options for accessing care.

NOTE: In November: an amendment will be on the ballot that, if passed, will establish a right to abortion until fetal viability (approximately 24 weeks) in Florida’s constitution. Click here for more information on casting your vote this fall.

Our state provides some family planning resources. Be aware—some resources may use inaccurate or misleading language to describe abortion services. For example, Crisis Pregnancy Centers may pose as “pregnancy resource centers” and are known to advertise scientifically inaccurate information about abortion.

ACCESSING CARE

At a federal and local level, you have rights and options for access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care. Do you have questions about those rights and options? See the relevant resources below.

• Right now, abortion is illegal in Florida after six weeks of pregnancy.
• If you are more than six weeks pregnant, you will have to travel to a state where care is legal. Right now, the closest states are Virginia (HERE), Ohio (HERE), and Illinois (HERE).
  

Contraception

• The Title X Family Planning program provides contraception, vaccinations, cancer and STD screenings, and other health care services to individuals who may not otherwise be able to afford care. You can locate your nearest Title X provider here.
  
• Women ages 14 through 55 may also be eligible for Florida’s Medicaid Family Planning Waiver Program.
  
• The Affordable Care Act provides the right to $0-copay birth control under most health plans. If you are having challenges accessing this benefit, call the Department of Labor Employee Benefits line at 1-866-444-3272.

Maternal Care

• Affordable family planning services, including prenatal and postpartum services, pregnancy testing and planning, birth control, emergency contraception, pregnancy testing and planning, are available at the Florida Department of Health in Broward County.
• The Healthy Start Program provides education and care coordination to pregnant women and infants under three.
• Children under 18 are eligible to receive free or low-cost health insurance through the Florida KidCare Program.

Emergency Care

• Federal law requires hospitals to provide necessary medical care, including abortion, to save the life or health of an emergency room patient.
• If you were denied the emergency medical care to which you are entitled, call 1-888-419-3456.

• The Department of Defense offers TRICARE coverage to active duty military service members and their families whose pregnancies resulted from rape or incest, of if the service members or their families' health or life would be endangered by continuing their pregnancy.
• In all other cases, DOD grants service members administration absence for up to 21 days to receive, or accompany a family member who receives, a non-covered abortion. 
  

Veterans

• The VA offers abortion to veterans whose pregnancies resulted from rape or incest, or if the veteran’s health or life would be endangered by continuing their pregnancy.
• In all other cases, the VA offers abortion counseling and referrals.

For more information and resources about reproductive care, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ website, reproductiverights.gov. 

WHAT I'M DOING

Legislative Initiatives 

Abortion Rights

The right to abortion is a fundamental right and must be safeguarded in federal law. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would establish a federal statutory right for health care providers to provide abortion care and a corresponding right for their patients to receive that care—free from bans and restrictions that impede access. The current Republican-controlled House of Representatives has refused to bring this bill to the House Floor for a vote. 

I am a strong supporter of multiple pieces of abortion rights legislation, including the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, to protect the right to travel between states for reproductive health care, regardless of the current abortion laws in the women's home state. 

Contraception Rights

Every person deserves the right to choose whether, how, and when they become a parent. Birth control must be accessible to all—and people deserve to have their choice of the birth control method that works best for them, free from political interference.

As extreme attacks on contraception are already taking place across the nation, I am proud to stand with 9 in 10 Americans and support the bipartisan Right to Contraception Act. This bill would enshrine the right to contraception into federal law and protect all people who use it from attempts to restrict access to birth control. The current Republican-controlled House of Representatives have blocked a vote on this bill and all but two Republican Senators voted against this bill when it was brought to the Senate Floor in June.

Protecting Access to IVF

In-vitro fertilization (IVF) has recently faced multiple legal battles—including the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos are considered children—that have cast uncertainty onto doctors, fertility clinics, and prospective parents. As a mother two of her children who were conceived through IVF treatments, this issue is deeply personal and troubling for me.

Federal legislation is needed to protect states from the legal chaos and uncertainty currently surrounding IVF treatments. That is why, I am a proud cosponsor of the Access to Family Building Act, which would provide for the federal legal right to access any assistant reproductive technology, including IVF. 

Caucus Membership

Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus

In the 118th Congress, I am proud to be a member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus (PCC)—a group of over 150 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives committed to advancing reproductive rights, freedom, and justice. From moving key legislation forward to amplifying the voices of those in FL-25 and around the country demanding action, I consistently stand with my PCC colleagues as we fight for your reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy.

You can learn more about PCC here.

Democratic Women's Caucus

I am also a proud member of the Democratic Women's Caucus (DWC)—a powerful coalition that makes sure women's voices are heard in Congress. DWC members are leading the fight to build an economy that works for women, deliver affordable and accessible health care—including reproductive health care—prevent violence against women, and ensure equality for all. 

You can learn more about DWC here. 

STILL NEED HELP?

My office is here to help you and answer any questions you might have. For assistance with federal agencies, including government insurance programs, and for local resources, contact my office in Sunrise or Hollywood:

Sunrise Office
777 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy.
Sunrise, FL 33325
Phone: (954) 845-1179

Hollywood Office
2600 Hollywood Blvd. 
Hollywood, FL 33020
Phone: (954) 845-1179

To leave a policy comments and for questions about federal legislation, contact my office in Washington, D.C.:

270 Cannon Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-7931