CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — Governor JB Pritzker has signed two new bills aimed at protecting reproductive rights and expanding access to contraception and medication abortions across Illinois, including on public college campuses.
The legislation includes an expanded state shield law (HB3637) that protects health care providers from disciplinary actions for offering lawful reproductive health services. This bill extends protections to all providers—including licensed midwives and wholesale drug distributors—and updates the state’s Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow the prescription of certain drugs, like mifepristone, even if their FDA approval has been politically revoked but they remain endorsed by the World Health Organization.
In addition, HB3709 requires public colleges and universities with student health centers or on-campus pharmacies to offer contraception and medication abortion starting with the 2025-2026 academic year. The law ensures students can access consultations and receive reproductive health medications directly on campus.
“These laws expand access to critical reproductive health services and safeguard the pharmacists and healthcare providers patients rely on,” said Garth Reynolds, Executive Director of the Illinois Pharmacists Association.
Governor Pritzker emphasized the importance of the new measures in the face of mounting national challenges to reproductive freedom. “Six years ago, I promised women in Illinois that their medical decisions would be their own. Today is another step forward in fulfilling that promise,” he said.
Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton echoed this sentiment, saying Illinois is “a safe haven for reproductive freedom in the Midwest” as other states roll back access.
The bills come after student advocacy efforts, including a referendum at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign urging availability of medication abortion on campus.
State Representative Anna Moeller, sponsor of HB3709, highlighted the role of student activists in driving change. “Access to contraception and medication abortion should never depend on your ZIP code, income, or whether you’re a college student,” she said.
Illinois has a long history of advancing reproductive rights, having previously enshrined protections into state law before the Dobbs decision and expanded access to over-the-counter birth control.
