WA lawmakers consider requiring public colleges to offer medication-abortion access
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- SB 5826 would require Washington public colleges to provide medication abortion access.
- Institutions without student health centers must offer referrals, staff training.
- Supporters say access reduces barriers and boosts retention; critics cite moral concerns.
Washington public universities and colleges would be required to give students access to medication abortion under a bill heard by state lawmakers Jan. 15.
Senate Bill 5826 by Democratic state Sen. T’wina Nobles of Fircrest received a public hearing the afternoon of Jan. 15 before the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development.
It would mandate student health centers at higher-education institutions to offer access to abortion medication, such as mifepristone, starting with the 2027-28 school year. This could be accomplished via agreement with a safety net abortion provider, which the bill defines as an abortion provider that contracts with the health department’s sexual and reproductive health program, or through a public program, among other methods.
Nobles argued that obstacles to abortion care can lead to long wait times and add unnecessary stress for students while they try to keep up with school, also affecting their mental well-being.
“Students should not have to choose between their health and their education,” she said at the hearing. “Students should be able to go to their campus and thrive.”
The bill comes as states led by Republican lawmakers continue to enact stricter abortion regulations and blue states like Washington seek to further expand access to reproductive care.
The legislation notes that there are roughly 196,000 higher-ed students in Washington who are capable of getting pregnant, and that many “need access to abortion services each year.” It contends that students who want to receive an abortion face significant financial, travel and logistical hurdles, sometimes waiting for a number of days for an appointment that might be far away.
Under the bill, higher-ed public institutions without a student health center would have to offer medication-abortion referral services and information to students looking for such care. Support staff would need to have received training on which public resources are available for student referral.
All higher-ed institutions would have to keep a health-services webpage providing information and resources about reproductive health services.
Supporters view the bill as necessary to prevent unnecessary strain for students who require medication abortion, helping to keep them enrolled and on a good academic trajectory. Critics say that medication-abortion access is not as sparse as the bill claims, and that the state’s colleges shouldn’t be required to support a service seen by some as morally wrong.
Hailey Gray with the youth reproductive health advocacy nonprofit Advocates for Youth testified in favor of the legislation. She said that “students should not have to face additional logistical, financial and emotional barriers to obtaining the care they need, especially when they’re already juggling the pressures of their academic commitments.”
Opponents, including some from religious organizations, argued Jan. 15 that state universities shouldn’t be in the business of abortion. They also took issue with the bill language that dubbed abortion access a human right.
Jean Hill with the Washington State Catholic Conference argued Jan. 15 that abortion denies “all rights of the little person developing inside.” She said some young pregnant women see their only choices as either having the baby and failing in college, or staying in school and seeking an abortion.
“As a state, we should be appalled that women still face barriers to achieving their higher education goals if pregnant,” Hill said. “Rather than promote a right to take life, we would encourage you to ensure pregnant individuals have the same rights to work, attend school and meet their basic needs and succeed as their non-pregnant peers.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that ended the federal constitutional right to abortion, Washington facilities offering those services have witnessed a larger burden, translating to longer student wait times, the bill says.
States where abortion is legal have reportedly seen a spike in out-of-state abortion patients since the high court’s ruling.
The bill text notes that student health centers are present at many of the state’s public universities, but just one such center today provides services related to medication abortion. There is one additional center that is working on implementing those services, per the bill.
The committee has SB 5826 scheduled for an executive session Jan. 22 at 1:30 p.m.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 10:56 AM with the headline "WA lawmakers consider requiring public colleges to offer medication-abortion access."
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