Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment

Formerly SB 956

Since 2014, legislators all over the country—including here in Pennsylvania—have embarked on a systematic campaign to weaken the protections in Roe and end abortion access throughout the United States. The No Right to Abortion Constiutional Amendment is the most extreme and dangerous attempt yet.

Before the 2022 summer recess, anti-abortion legislators switched course in their efforts to silence Pennsylvanians and strip them away of fundamental rights. In the evenings of July 7th and 8th, anti-abortion legislators amended the no anti-abortion constitutional amendment to include that there is no right to tax-payer funded abortion or any other right relating to abortion. This amendment would essentially pave the way for more abortion restrictions and bans in the state.

The Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment also amends our state constitution to:

Institute voter photo ID
Centralize election oversight to a single state official
Weaken the power of the governor and shift power to the legislature
Make Lieutenant Governor an appointed, not elected, position

How the Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment Impacts Sexual and Reproductive Health Care:

This addition to our constitution could impact more than just abortion. The way the language is written makes it clear that this could have implications for miscarriage care and treatment for ectopic pregnancies.
This amendment would enshrine discrimination into the Pennsylvania constitution—allowing the State to treat a person differently and limit their access to health care options just because they are pregnant or low income.
Every legislative session, anti-abortion legislators introduce bills to restrict access to abortion (point in time bans, bills to defund Planned Parenthood, the Down Syndrome Abortion Ban), if this amendment were to become law, we would see bills like these become law.

Constitutional Amendment FAQs and Information

What are constitutional amendments?
- Constitutional amendments are amendments (or changes) to our state constitution.
How do constitutional amendments pass?
- Our state constitution may only be amended if a proposed change receives a majority vote within two consecutive legislative sessions, and then it must be approved by voters (YOU) via a ballot measure (the questions you see on the ballot where you vote by selecting “yes” or a “no).
Can the governor veto constitutional amendments?
- No, constitutional amendments cannot be vetoed by the Governor.
Where are we in the process of this becoming law?