Nevada governor bolsters protections for reproductive rights
CARSON CITY – Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak this week signed an executive order to protect people seeking abortions in the state. The order prevents other states from imposing their abortion bans on care provided in Nevada – including disciplining Nevada-based healthcare providers or extraditing people who received abortion care in the state.
“Reproductive health care is a basic human right, and Nevada stands firm in its commitment to ensuring there is safe and equitable access for Nevadans and anyone seeking refuge from the restrictive laws in their state,” said Gov. Sisolak. “No one should be punished for providing or receiving necessary medical care, including abortions, contraception and other reproductive health care services.”
Sisolak’s executive order follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which overturned Roe v. Wade and the right for people to make decisions about reproductive health including abortion.
Nevada voters in 1990 approved a measure to protect abortion rights until 24 weeks, and after 24 weeks if a pregnant person’s health is at risk. That law can only be repealed by a direct vote of the people.
In recent years, the Legislature and governor have expanded upon reproductive rights in the state by approving the Trust Nevada Women Act to decriminalize medical abortion – an increasingly used method – to remove barriers and outdated consent laws, and to fund services for contraception, maternal care and other reproductive services.
The three key parts of Sisolak’s order include:
- State employees cannot provide information or spend time, money or other resources to assist another state that is seeking to impose civil or criminal liability on a person for getting an abortion in Nevada or assisting someone in doing so.
- Health care providers in Nevada will be protected by the state’s licensure boards from discipline or disqualification for providing abortion care or other reproductive health care in the state.
- The governor will decline any extradition requests from another state that may issue a warrant charging a person with a crime related to reproductive health care services.
Source: Nevada Governor’s Office
