Reproductive Freedom

Protecting the reproductive freedom and civil rights of Vermonters has always been central to the ACLU of Vermont’s work. In 1970, three years after its founding, the ACLU joined a legal challenge to overturn a Vermont law that prohibited abortions. In 1982, we helped defeat parental notification legislation, and four years later, we won a ruling that Vermont’s refusal to pay for medically necessary abortions as part of Medicaid violated the state Constitution.

Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, the ACLU strives to ensure that every person has the opportunity to make their own reproductive decisions and to get the care they need. Our work focuses on a range of issues, including protecting access to affordable contraception, protecting a person's ability to make personal, private decisions about pregnancy and abortion, and fighting pregnancy discrimination. With your help, the ACLU stands ready to block efforts to take this decision away from Vermont families.

Vermont voters made history in 2022 by passing Proposal 5, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment. This amendment codified reproductive autonomy as a constitutional right for everyone in Vermont, enshrining the strongest possible protection for reproductive rights in our state constitution.

As politicians across the county move to severely restrict access to essential reproductive and gender-affirming health care services, some will attempt to criminalize care provided across state lines and enable frivolous and abusive civil litigation. In 2023 and beyond, we are working to advance legislation that protects providers and patients who administer or receive health care services that are legal within the state.