HB 220 prohibits public contracting and participation in any commercial transaction with an abortion provider or their affiliate. It also creates a “gag rule,” which prohibits public employees— like school counselors and nurses— from counseling in favor of abortion, or from offering a referral to an abortion provider.
This legislation is a clear intrusion on reproductive health counseling. It is also a blatant attempt to defund Planned Parenthood, which in turn will threaten the ability for Idahoans to get basic, preventative health care such as lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment, and regular reproductive wellness exams.