Colorado 2025 Regular Session

Colorado Senate Bill SJR004 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		First Regular Session
2	2		Seventy-fifth General Assembly
3	3		STATE OF COLORADO
4		-	~~REVISED~~
	4	+	ENGROSSED
5	5
6	6
7	7		LLS NO. R25-0834.01 Faith Marcovecchio x4331
8	8		SJR25-004
9	9		Senate Committees House Committees
10	10		SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 25-004
11	11		C
12	12		ONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF JANUARY 22 AS "REPRODUCTIVE101
13	13		R
14	14		IGHTS AND JUSTICE DAY".102
15	15		WHEREAS, On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the1
16	16		United States found in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), that the United2
17	17		States Constitution protects the right to abortion; and3
18	18		WHEREAS, On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United4
19	19		States overturned the precedent established by Roe v. Wade (1973) and5
20	20		Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992),6
21	21		ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 142 S. Ct.7
22	22		2228 (2022) that the United States Constitution "does not confer a right8
23	23		to abortion" and that "the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the9
24	24		people and their elected representatives"; and10
25		-	HOUSE
26		-	Final Reading
27		-	January 24, 2025
28	25		SENATE
29	26		Final Reading
30	27		January 22, 2025
31	28		SENATE SPONSORSHIP
32	29		Cutter and Michaelson Jenet, Amabile, Ball, Bridges, Coleman, Daugherty, Exum,
33	30		Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jaquez Lewis, Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Marchman, Mullica, Roberts,
34	31		Rodriguez, Snyder, Sullivan, Weissman
35	32		HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
36		-	Garcia and Froelich, Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, Camacho, Carter, Clifford, Duran,
37		-	English, Espenoza, Gilchrist, Hamrick, Joseph, Lieder, Lindsay, Lindstedt, Lukens, Mabrey,
38		-	Martinez, Mauro, McCluskie, McCormick, Paschal, Phillips, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Smith,
39		-	Stewart K., Stewart R., Story, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Willford, Woodrow, Zokaie
	33	+	Garcia and Froelich,
40	34		Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
41	35		Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
42	36		Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. WHEREAS, Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan issued a1
43	37		dissenting opinion in Dobbs, stating, "Whatever the exact scope of the2
44	38		coming laws, one result of today's decision is certain: the curtailment of3
45	39		women's rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens"; and4
46	40		WHEREAS, The surest protection against that curtailment of5
47	41		rights is now offered only by state legislatures and within state6
48	42		constitutions; and7
49	43		WHEREAS, Upon the Dobbs decision and again on the following8
50	44		anniversary of the 1973 Roe ruling, tens of thousands of Coloradans9
51	45		across the political spectrum took to the streets throughout the state to10
52	46		express their disappointment and rage; and11
53	47		WHEREAS, Overturning Roe has resulted in significant physical12
54	48		and mental trauma to, as well as significant financial burden on, people13
55	49		no longer able to access abortion care where they live and who must seek14
56	50		care elsewhere; and15
57	51		WHEREAS, Marginalized groups have been systemically denied16
58	52		equal access to abortion even before Roe was overturned, especially17
59	53		Black, Latina, and Indigenous people of color; people with lower18
60	54		incomes; and people in remote, rural, or underserved areas; and19
61	55		WHEREAS, On April 4, 2022, to secure the statutory right to20
62	56		abortion free from government interference in the face of the pending21
63	57		Dobbs decision, Governor Polis signed into law House Bill 22-127922
64	58		passed by the Colorado General Assembly, titled the "Reproductive23
65	59		Health Equity Act" or "RHEA"; and24
66	60		WHEREAS, On April 14, 2023, Governor Polis signed into law25
67	61		the package of three bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly titled26
68	62		the "Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package" or "SAPHC27
69	63		Package", which included Senate Bills 23-188, 23-189, and 23-190; and28
70	64		WHEREAS, Senate Bill 23-188 codified protections for29
71	65		Colorado's patients, providers, and helpers of abortion and30
72	66		gender-affirming care against out-of-state prosecutions, civil lawsuits,31
73	67		investigations, and extradition claims; and32
74	68		WHEREAS, Senate Bill 23-189 mandated that abortion be a33
75	69		covered service without deductibles, copays, or coinsurance under private34
76	70		004
77	71		-2- health insurance plans, which protects Coloradans on private plans but1
78	72		not the hundreds of thousands of Coloradans on publicly funded2
79	73		insurance plans; and3
80	74		WHEREAS, Senate Bill 23-190 categorized the deliberate false4
81	75		advertising of abortion services as a deceptive trade practice; and5
82	76		WHEREAS, Colorado voters defeated fetal personhood6
83	77		amendments, which are total abortion bans, by 30% (Amendment 67) in7
84	78		2014, by 41% (Amendment 62) in 2010, and by 46% (Amendment 48) in8
85	79		2008; and9
86	80		WHEREAS, In 2020, Colorado voters defeated Proposition 115,10
87	81		a 22-week abortion ban, by 18%, with more votes cast opposing it than11
88	82		President Biden received on the same ballot; and12
89	83		WHEREAS, 61.97% of Colorado voters overwhelmingly approved13
90	84		the constitutional right to abortion, solidifying its protection and14
91	85		demonstrating strong public support; and15
92	86		WHEREAS, Coloradans deserve the right to the full spectrum of16
93	87		reproductive health care and we must now enact the will of the voters;17
94	88		and18
95	89		WHEREAS, We must enshrine the federal "Emergency Medical19
96	90		Treatment and Labor Act" (EMTALA) into state law to ensure that all20
97	91		Coloradans have access to essential, life-saving medical care, regardless21
98	92		of federal actions or policy changes, and to prevent gaps in care that could22
99	93		disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, including those23
100	94		experiencing medical emergencies or pregnancy-related complications;24
101	95		and25
102	96		WHEREAS, We must strengthen our Shield Law to provide robust26
103	97		protections for individuals seeking, providing, or supporting abortion care27
104	98		in Colorado, ensuring their safety and privacy in the face of increasing28
105	99		threats and legal challenges from other states; and29
106	100		WHEREAS, Enhanced protections are necessary to safeguard30
107	101		against the chilling effect of out-of-state legal actions, prevent the sharing31
108	102		of private health information across jurisdictions, and affirm Colorado's32
109	103		commitment to reproductive freedom; and33
110	104		004
111	105		-3- WHEREAS, Colorado was the first state in the nation to legalize1
112	106		abortion, and Colorado has since led the nation, at the ballot box and in2
113	107		the legislature, and should continue to lead the nation in protecting3
114	108		abortion access without restriction; and4
115	109		Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly5
116	110		of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:6
117	111		That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:7
118	112		(1) Affirm Colorado will continue to protect reproductive rights8
119	113		and access to essential medical care, reaffirming its role as a national9
120	114		leader in advancing and safeguarding these fundamental freedoms; and10
121	115		(2) Hereby designate January 22 of each year as "Reproductive11
122	116		Rights and Justice Day".12
123	117		004
124	118		-4-