{"id":8092,"date":"2026-01-15T14:16:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/nobles\/?p=8092"},"modified":"2026-01-15T14:16:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:16:44","slug":"nobles-bill-expanding-access-to-medication-abortion-at-public-colleges-universities-heard-in-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/nobles\/2026\/01\/15\/nobles-bill-expanding-access-to-medication-abortion-at-public-colleges-universities-heard-in-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Nobles bill expanding access to medication abortion at public colleges, universities heard in committee"},"content":{"rendered":"

OLYMPIA \u2014 A bill to\u00a0<\/span>address access to medication abortion services at the state’s public institutions of higher education<\/span>\u00a0was\u00a0heard Wednesday in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Senate Bill 5826<\/span><\/b><\/a>, sponsored by Sen.\u00a0T\u2019wina\u00a0Nobles (D-Fircrest),\u00a0<\/span>would require public colleges and universities to provide students with access to medication abortion services through student health centers or coordinated referral and telehealth options.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Under the bill, beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, student health centers at public institutions of higher education would\u00a0be required\u00a0to offer access to medication abortion through a public program connecting patients to reproductive health services, a formal agreement with a safety-net abortion provider with telehealth capacity, or other available methods. Institutions that do not\u00a0operate\u00a0a student health center would\u00a0be required\u00a0to provide information, referrals, and support services to\u00a0assist\u00a0students in accessing medication abortion through telehealth providers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The legislation also requires public institutions of higher education to\u00a0maintain\u00a0a comprehensive health services webpage with clear information about reproductive health services, including instructions for scheduling appointments, campus support resources, and links to state health information.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SB 5826 applies to Washington\u2019s public four-year institutions, community and technical colleges, and other public postsecondary institutions as defined in statute.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStudents should be able to access lawful health care without facing unnecessary barriers that disrupt their education,\u201d Nobles said. \u201cThis bill sets clear expectations so public colleges and universities can connect students with medication abortion services and related support in a consistent way.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStudents in Washington must be able to access abortion on their own terms,\u201d said\u00a0Hailey Gray, Washington\u00a0campus\u00a0coordinator for Abortion Access at Advocates for Youth. \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0proud to partner with Senator Nobles on legislation that would advance critical reproductive health care for students across the state and reduce barriers to abortion access that disrupt young peoples\u2019 education and put their mental and physical health at risk. Student activists have long led the movement for access to safe, efficacious, and cost-effective abortion care on college campuses, and we look forward to making that vision a reality for hundreds of thousands of students in our state.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow\u00a0the bill’s progress\u00a0<\/span>here<\/span><\/b><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OLYMPIA \u2014 A bill to\u00a0address access to medication abortion services at the state’s public institutions of higher education\u00a0was\u00a0heard Wednesday in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee.\u00a0 Senate Bill 5826, sponsored by Sen.\u00a0T\u2019wina\u00a0Nobles (D-Fircrest),\u00a0would require public colleges and universities to provide students with access to medication abortion services through student health centers or coordinated referral and telehealth options.\u00a0 Under the bill, beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, student health centers at public institutions of higher education would\u00a0be required\u00a0to offer access to medication abortion through a public program connecting patients to reproductive health services, a formal agreement with a safety-net…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":7927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-release"],"yoast_head":"\nNobles bill expanding access to medication abortion at public colleges, universities heard in committee - Sen. 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