Urges Congress to call constitutional convention to consider reproductive health care rights.
Impact
By proposing a constitutional amendment that promotes reproductive rights, AJR91 aims to reinforce individual freedoms and gender equality throughout the United States. It emphasizes the necessity of a uniform standard to prevent inconsistencies that affect marginalized communities, particularly highlighting concerns for low-income individuals and people of color who may face greater challenges in accessing reproductive healthcare. The text underscores that access to such rights is not just a matter of individual choice but also significantly impacts broader societal issues, such as economic implications and public health.
Summary
Assembly Joint Resolution No. 91 (AJR91) encourages the United States Congress to convene a constitutional convention aimed at amending the federal Constitution to safeguard reproductive health rights for all Americans. This comes in response to the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade, thus placing reproductive rights under state jurisdiction and creating significant disparities across different regions regarding access to reproductive health services. The resolution seeks a nationwide standard that would secure individuals' fundamental rights to contraception and abortion, thereby preventing a fragmented legal landscape.
Contention
The resolution acknowledges the need for Congress to invoke a constitutional convention, an unusual process requiring the agreement of two-thirds of the states. This means that if the resolution gains traction, it could lead to rigorous debates surrounding reproductive health rights in both state and national forums. Some may argue against the measure, citing potential overreach or unintended consequences. Nevertheless, it stresses the urgency of legislative action to protect reproductive rights as critical for both individual autonomy and public well-being, making it a pivotal point for ongoing and future discourse in legislative circles.
Expressing support for the recognition of September 26, 2025, as "World Contraception Day" and expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding global and domestic access to contraception.
Safeguard Healthcare Industry Employees from Litigation and Distress Act or the SHIELD Act This bill establishes a framework to limit interference with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health services at the state level. For the purposes of this summary, interference with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health services includes acts to prevent, restrict, impede, or retaliate against a health care provider who provides reproductive health care services, any person or entity who helps health care providers to provide such services, any person who seeks to access such services, or any person or entity who helps another person to access such services. First, the bill reduces the allocation of funds under certain law enforcement grant programs for a state that has in effect a law authorizing state or local officers or employees to interfere with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health services. Second, the bill prohibits interference with persons seeking to provide or access reproductive health care services by state or local officers or employees acting under color of law in any manner that would have a discriminatory effect on a woman, and by persons who are not state or local officers or employees and are attempting to implement or enforce a state law in circumstances affecting interstate commerce. The bill authorizes civil remedies for a violation, including damages and injunctive relief. Additionally, it authorizes criminal penalties for a violation involving the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon or the infliction of bodily injury.