Biden Administration Blocks Gop States From Targeting Abortion Medical Records

According to the Associated Press, the Biden administration has completed a policy that will prevent Republican-led jurisdictions with strong constraints on reproductive freedom from collecting the medical records of people seeking abortions out of state.

“No one should have their medical records used against them, their doctor, or their loved one just because they sought or received lawful reproductive health care,” Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, stated at a press conference.

The legislation was initially proposed in April 2023. It clarifies that medical professionals cannot furnish law enforcement with medical records of someone who chooses to terminate a pregnancy in another state.

Last year, for example, Alabama’s Republican attorney general claimed his office has the authority to prosecute anyone who violates the state’s abortion ban by seeking medical care elsewhere, even though no one has yet been charged under the alleged authority, according to 19th News, a nonprofit media organization that focuses on women’s issues.

According to a press release issued by the White House, “the rule would prevent an individual’s information from being disclosed to investigate, sue, or prosecute an individual, a health care provider, or a loved one simply because that person sought, obtained, provided, or facilitated legal reproductive health care, including abortion.”