Canty Bill Protecting Medication Abortion Access Now Law

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — A new law passed  will protect Illinois women’s ability to safely order and access medication abortion, thanks to legislation headed by state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, enhancing the state’s shield law to legalize prescribed medication abortion and prevent federal overreach.

“Anti-choice extremists have made restricting the right to bodily autonomy their focus and proactive legislation that combats federal intrusions is imperative. This measure is one of many steps I plan on taking to create a comprehensive shield to secure the right to choose in Illinois,” Canty said. “I am proud that our state is a national leader in human rights. We are and will continue to be a place where people who want control over what happens to their body can come and exercise that freedom.”

Canty’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.

“In 2019, extremists justified their opposition to the Reproductive Health Act with the pretext that women’s rights were still protected by the Roe v. Wade decision. Just a few years later, Roe was
overturned and the RHA became more important than ever,” Canty said. “We can’t afford to be reactive to radicals who want to get rid of our rights, this is too important.”

The legislation was signed into law Friday and will go into effect January 1 of next year.