2019 Minnesota Legislative Session Preview

On the heels of the 2018 midterm election that swept pro-choice Democrats into power in the Minnesota House of Representatives and delivered reproductive rights champion Tim Walz into the Governor’s office, the Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund has an ambitious legislative agenda that will protect and expand access to reproductive health care in Minnesota.

With only the second pro-choice majority ever in the Minnesota House, now is the time to advance proactive reproductive health legislation that expands access to care for the first time in years. With reproductive rights still in the crosshairs of a hostile Trump Administration, we must strengthen Minnesota’s network of family planning clinics, protect and expand access to birth control, and require that medically accurate sex education is taught in Minnesota schools.

Here's what we're fighting for:

1. Protect and Expand Access to Birth Control

We believe all people deserve access to birth control and contraceptives. To protect Minnesotans’ ability to plan their families and their futures by accessing the birth control method that is right for them, regardless of cost and free of political interference, we will fight to:

•  require that state-regulated health plans cover FDA-approved contraceptives, counseling and follow-up services at no out-of-pocket cost; and
• allow patients to receive up to a full-year supply of oral contraceptives at one time, covered by insurance.

2. Support Comprehensive Sex Education

We believe everyone deserves access to medically-accurate, culturally-specific, and inclusive sexuality education. The Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota Action Fund supports efforts to require that medically accurate, culturally specific sex education is taught in Minnesota schools. 

3. Offset Trump Family Planning Cuts

The Trump Administration is poised to imminently block Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers from participating in the federal Title X family planning grant program. This move will jeopardize access to birth control, STD testing and treatment, HIV testing, and breast and cervical cancer screenings for approximately 53,000 Minnesotans across 31 clinic sites throughout the state.

We believe everyone deserves access to affordable, quality reproductive and sexual health care. To help ensure that low-income Minnesotans continue to receive vital reproductive health services without significant disruption to care, we will request a funding increase for a state family planning grant to offset the imminent loss of annual Title X funding.