State House OKs access to abortion medication at colleges

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(The Center Square) – The Colorado House on Monday approved a bill allowing for the access of abortion medication on college campuses.

House Bill 1335 is sponsored by Reps. Lorena Garcia and Kenny Nguyen, both Democrats. Garcia represents Adams and Jefferson counties. Nguyen represents parts of Adams, Broomfield and Weld counties.

Forty-one Democrats in the House voted for HB 1335 on its third and final reading in the chamber. Twenty-one Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. Bob Marshall of Douglas County, opposed it.

The bill requires institutions of higher education that operate a student health center to provide on-site abortion medication services through the student health center. The bill also requires an institution that has an on-site pharmacy to maintain a stock of abortion medication to dispense to students enrolled at the institution.

Campuses that do not have an on-site pharmacy must either submit a prescription for abortion medication to an off-campus pharmacy or dispense abortion medication through the campus student health center with permission from the student health center’s licensure.

An institution is not required to provide access to or stock abortion medication if doing so would conflict with the institution's sincerely held religious beliefs or practices.

Several House Republicans spoke out against the bill, saying that abortion medication could harm students who take the pills.

Pointing to an April 2025 study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, state Rep. Stephanie Luck said researchers found one in 10 patients experience a serious adverse health event after taking the abortion pill.

“We ran an amendment to say, ‘Hey, at the very least, let’s make sure that the college health center, the group that knows that this girl has taken these, that they follow up at least twice’ because it’s important that somebody check in,” said Luck, who represents Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Pueblo and Teller counties. “We didn’t adopt that standard.”

Rep. Ken DeGraaf, R-El Paso County, also urged a “no” vote. 

Like Luck, DeGraaf mentioned the health concerns for women taking the abortion pill, and he questioned whether campuses are “equipped for the psychological and physical fallout of this” bill.

“I kind of envision that someday we're going to meet these pre-born persons, either as a defender or an attacker,” said DeGraaf. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Douglas County, said this bill is not about access. It is about a mandate.

“It forces colleges to provide abortion drugs, shift costs onto students, and expands medical services without ensuring medical safety,” said Bradley. “We should be strengthening healthcare, not politicizing campuses and burdening institutions.”

Bradley later recommended that people running campus health centers close their operations.

“Force these students to find a doctor somewhere else because we’re mandating unsafe practices onto you,” said Bradley. “You will be sued, you will pay the consequences, and I just wouldn’t do it.”

Garcia, the legislation's sponsor, said the bill came directly from students.

“This bill exists because a group that organizes and works with young people on campuses,” said Garcia. “They heard directly from their students on campus that this was a need, to be able to access the abortion pill on campus.”

Garcia added that she worked with “every single level of higher institution in this state,” from community college to the big flagship schools. According to Garcia, there is not a single higher education entity opposed to this bill.

“This bill is nothing more than making sure that the constitutional rights that our voters put in place are made accessible,” said Garcia, referring to a 2024 voter initiative that enshrined the right to abortion in the Colorado constitution. 

The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists has said abortion medication is safe and effective.