ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — A new law passed Friday will protect Illinois women’s ability to safely order and access medication abortion, thanks to legislation headed by state Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, enhancing the state’s shield law to legalize prescribed medication abortion and prevent federal overreach.
“With federal reproductive protections under constant attack from the Trump Administration and other extreme politicians, safeguarding abortion medication in Illinois is essential to maintain a woman’s personal freedoms and ensure they can make medical decisions about their body without political interference,” said Avelar.
Avelar’s House Bill 3637 strengthens Illinois’ Shield Law by reinforcing the Illinois Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to protect access to medication abortion. The shield law initially protected healthcare professionals providing lawful healthcare in Illinois, and was strengthened in 2024 to prevent the state from sharing information on legal procedures done in Illinois.
House Bill 3637 takes these protections further by ultimately “future-proofing” Illinois law — preempting federal overreach of a medication if already approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), ensuring residents have access to medically necessary and life-saving reproductive health medications. The provision locks in WHO-approved medications until 2035, where it will then have to be re-evaluated.
“This bill locks in women’s reproductive protections, mitigates federal overreach, and maintains that healthcare professionals are not criminalized for providing lawful reproductive medical care here in Illinois — ultimately ensuring every woman has absolute autonomy over her life and health,” said Avelar.
The legislation was signed into law Friday and will go into effect January 1 of next year.
Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar
(D-Bolingbrook)
85th District
Springfield Office:
265-S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-4179
District Office:
1050 W. Romeo Rd
Romeoville, IL 60446
(815) 372-0085