A bill that would require colleges and universities in Colorado to provide access to abortion medication is moving through the state legislature after facing its first committee hearing on Thursday.
The abortion medication included in the bill consists of two pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, taken over the course of one to two days. It is widely considered safe and effective by major medical organizations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization.
Colorado colleges and universities often provide other reproductive health care services, like birth control and testing for sexually transmitted infections, but many don’t provide access to abortion medication.
The measure, House Bill 26-1335, backed by a group of Democrats, aims to change that by requiring higher education institutions with student health centers to make abortion medication available to enrolled students.
Schools with an on-site pharmacy would need to keep it in stock, while those without one would still be required to prescribe it and send prescriptions to an off-campus pharmacy. The bill would apply to public and private schools, but those with religious affiliations could opt out if the requirements conflict with their beliefs.
The House Education Committee voted along party lines to advance the measure during the hearing.
The proposal is part of broader efforts by Democratic lawmakers in recent years to protect and expand access to abortion in Colorado. In 2024, voters approved Amendment 79, which enshrined abortion rights in the state constitution, let state Medicaid benefits cover the procedure, and allowed health insurance plans for tens of thousands of state and local government employees to include abortion coverage.
State Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Adams County, a sponsor of House Bill 1335, said women shouldn’t have to leave campus to get care.
“Why should they be forced to go to a different place to access a constitutional right?” Garcia said. “They should be able to access the full breadth of their health care right there on campus when they're already doing so for other things. Abortion care should not be something that someone has to go to some other clinic to access.”
Providers say students can face barriers even when care is available, such as difficulty finding providers and accurate information.
“Students still struggle finding that correct information and finding a provider that's going to offer them compassionate, medically accurate care,” said Kathia Garcia, public affairs manager at Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
Supporters testified during Thursday’s committee hearing that those challenges mean easily-accessible campus health centers often become students’ critical access point for care, especially for those who are far from home.
“When I moved to Colorado three years ago, I had no loved ones within 1,000 miles of my new home,” said Stephanie Schmidt, a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, during her testimony. “The Campus Health Center was crucial… it became my pharmacy, drugstore, and provider for all care because I was isolated from what is familiar.”
Opponents raised concerns during the hearing that the policy would be overburdensome for schools and would infringe on individuals' religious freedoms.
“There is no requirement to give women information on adoption or that abortion drugs can be reversed,” said Colleen Enos, director of government relations for Christian Home Educators of Colorado. “There is nothing in the statute to affirm a health care worker’s right to refuse to provide abortion pills or prescriptions according to their deeply held religious beliefs.”
The bill now awaits consideration by the full House chamber.
