The Vermont Senate gave final approval Friday to a measure generally referred to as the “shield bill.” It’s intended to protect those receiving and providing reproductive and gender-affirming care in the state.
Bill S.37 safeguards providers of abortions and gender-affirming care and bars insurance companies from raising rates for those providing such services. Those protected under the bill include medical, behavioral health, mental health, surgical, psychiatric, therapeutic, diagnostic, preventative, and rehabilitative professionals. It does not include conversion therapy. It bars false and/or misleading advertising from limited-services pregnancy centers.
The bill now moves to the Vermont House for consideration.