Phil Scott signs 'shield bills' to protect abortion providers in Vermont from out-of-state prosecution
Vermont Public
As state legislatures across the United States enact new prohibitions against abortion and gender-affirming medical care, Republican Gov. Phil Scott Wednesday signed two bills that will protect health care providers and their patients from criminal charges filed by prosecutors outside the state of Vermont.
Nineteen states have enacted at least partial bans on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, and 14 states now restrict gender-affirming care for minors.
Health care organizations in Vermont have made it clear that they’ll offer reproductive and gender-affirming care to patients who need to travel across state lines in order to receive it.