Lawmakers in Connecticut have passed legislation that expands abortion rights.
House Bill 5414 seeks to protect anyone who faces penalties under anti-abortion laws in other states.
People who are penalized for helping another person obtain an abortion would also be protected under this legislation.
That protection is likely in response to Texas’ abortion restriction that essentially allows private citizens to sue anyone who has helped another person get an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.
Oklahoma recently approved a bill modeled after Texas’ Heartbeat Act.
Connecticut’s bill also comes as the Supreme Court decides whether a Mississippi ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy is constitutional.
Connecticut governor Ned Lamont has said he will sign HB 5414 into law but has not yet received the bill.
Once passed, the legislation would go into effect on July 1.
