Harrisburg – October 30, 2026 – The Pennsylvania Senate recessed last Wednesday, October 22, with only two additional session days scheduled through the end of the 2026-2027 legislative session. As the chamber recessed—currently controlled by Republicans—the Senate left hundreds of bills on the table, including several that would advance reproductive freedoms in the Commonwealth.
Senator Amanda M. Cappelletti (D-17, Delaware/Montgomery) said many of these state-level protections are critical for Pennsylvanians as Republicans in Washington continue to dismantle the nation’s healthcare infrastructure.
“Wrapping up this legislative session and looking ahead to next Tuesday, access to abortion care is at the very top of my mind. I’m deeply disturbed that the majority party in our chamber was once again unwilling to come to the table and move lifesaving legislation that would protect basic healthcare in Pennsylvania,” said Senator Cappelletti, who served as the Director of Policy for Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates prior to her time in the legislature.
Senator Cappelletti has proposed several bills to address reproductive healthcare, and three proposals to protect abortion care were left on the table for the third session in a row since she introduced them.
On November 30, 2026, all legislative proposals not signed into law will be forced back to restart the legislative process.
Senate Republicans left the following pieces of Senator Cappelletti’s legislation as unfinished business this year:
- Senate Bill 837, The Reproductive Freedom Act: This legislation would repeal the Abortion Control Act and replace it with a new legal framework aimed at accessibility, privacy, and patient well-being. This legislation would remove abortion from the crimes code and move it into the Pennsylvania health code.
- The Abortion Protections Package, comprised of:
- Senate Bill 881, which would prohibit Pennsylvania courts from cooperating with out-of-state civil and criminal cases involving reproductive healthcare services, and prevent officials from other states from arresting individuals in Pennsylvania for an abortion-related crime.
- Senate Bill 882, which would prohibit Pennsylvania courts from enforcing another state’s judgment for a case involving the provision of reproductive healthcare services.
- Senate Bill 883, which would will instruct Pennsylvania’s healthcare licensure boards not to take adverse action against providers who offer reproductive healthcare services to out-of-state residents.
- Senate Bill 884, which would instruct insurance companies not to take adverse action against providers who offer reproductive healthcare services to out-of-state residents.
- Senate Bill 885, which would protect Pennsylvania’s abortion providers’ home addresses from public discovery.
- Senate Bill 886, which would protect reproductive health care records from disclosure in Pennsylvania civil actions or criminal investigations.
- Senate Bill 887, which would shield healthcare providers by allowing doctors to request that only the address of the dispensing health care practice be listed on prescription labels, omitting the name of the individual prescriber or clinic.
- Senate Bill 1197, Repealing Pennsylvania’s Pregnancy Exclusion Law: This legislation would repeal Section 5429 of Title 20, ensuring that pregnant people can make their own decisions about the medical care they do or do not wish to undergo regardless of their health status.
“I have openly shared my stories of several miscarriages, including my loss two years ago when I required a dilation and extraction to manage the loss. Not only have I shared those stories with my community, but I’ve shared them with my colleagues on the Senate floor,” said Senator Cappelletti. “Had I not been able to access the healthcare I needed during such a dark moment, my future and my family’s future would have been uncertain. My legislative proposals seek to make sure no pregnant person—or provider administering care—is ever criminalized for simply being pregnant and accessing lifesaving healthcare services.”
In the first three years following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, prosecutors initiated at least 902 cases nationwide charging individuals with crimes related to their pregnancy, pregnancy loss, or birth, according to Pregnancy Justice. Four of those cases were reported out of Pennsylvania, despite Pennsylvania’s continued efforts to provide safe and legal abortions.
“There aren’t two ways about it: the Pennsylvania legislature needs to codify access to abortion in our state law now. We have no time to waste,” said Senator Cappelletti. “The Pennsylvania House is ready to act, the Governor and First Lady are staunch advocates for reproductive freedoms. All we’re lacking is the political will in the Senate. Majorities matter, and who sits at the decision-making tables has widespread impacts in all 67 counties. It’s past time we get this done for Pennsylvanians.”
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