Bill seeks ‘health travel advisory’ for pregnant New Jerseyans visiting anti-abortion states • New Jersey Monitor

A New Jersey lawmaker wants the state to warn residents about restrictive abortion laws elsewhere in the country.

Sen. John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) on Monday announced legislation that would require the state to maintain a reproductive health travel registry to warn pregnant New Jerseyans who are considering trips out of state.

The bill would identify states as blue, yellow, or red, depending on how restrictive their abortion laws are.

“People should be able to protect their health and safety by making informed decisions before traveling to states that restrict access to reproductive medical care,” Burzichelli said. “They don’t want to be in a place where they are denied vital treatment in a time of need.”

The bill would require the New Jersey State Department to post descriptions of other states’ abortion and reproductive health care services, including laws that can criminalize the procedure or levy civil penalties for the same.

Numerous states have enacted abortion bans after the U.S. Supreme Court in September 2022 overturned its landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which found the country’s constitution broadly protected the right to abort a pregnancy.

The proposed registry would color code each state, marking ones with accessible reproductive care blue. States where abortion could trigger civil or criminal charges would be marked yellow to signal that travelers should exercise caution.

States where abortion restrictions could result in patients being turned away during emergencies would be marked red, and the website would recommend New Jerseyans reconsider their travel arrangements to such states.

“We can’t change the laws in other states, but we can give our residents the information they need to make informed decisions before they travel,” Burzichelli said.