Maryland lawmakers overrode Gov. Larry Hogan's veto this weekend to enact one of the state's most sweeping expansions of abortion access in decades.
The measure permits non-physicians, such as nurse practitioners and physician's assistants, to perform the controversial procedure, and it mandates most health insurance plans foot the bill without"a deductible, coinsurance, copayment, or any other cost-sharing requirement.""Thank you so much to my House colleagues for voting to override the Governor’s veto on my legislation to protect our public health officials from undue political influence.
Hogan, who previously pledged not to take action that would affect reproductive rights in state law, vetoed the Abortion Care Access Act on Friday. He cited concerns that lowering the standards for who performs an abortion"endangers" women's health. Maryland will provide $3.5 million a year in funding to train medical professionals on how to conduct an abortion procedure, per the bill. The state will contract an organization to provide the training through the Abortion Care Clinical Training Program, and the Maryland Health Department is prohibited from disclosing its participants.