Hi Friend,

Welcome back to URGE’s Policy update✨.

I’m diving into all things state policy related this month.  

Did you know that every state has a different legislative session cadence? For example, in Texas, state lawmakers meet every two years to work on bills from January through end of May, whereas in Alabama they meet every year, but the legislative session runs February through mid-May. 

Thrilled to share the passage of HB152!

For the second year, URGE Alabama advocated for this bill that removes the tax on menstrual products; baby supplies such as diapers, formula, breast milk pumping products, bottles, and maternity clothing. On April 8, URGE AL partnered with Alabama Campaign for Adolescent Sexual Health (ACASH) and Yellowhammer Fund to host a Reproductive Justice Day of Action at the Alabama State House to advocate for the passage of HB 152 and to defend against SB 277 which would enshrine abstinence-only until marriage sex education in Alabama K-12 schools.   

How You Can Help:

Contact Senators Figures, Coleman-Madison, and Smitherman to thank them for their vocal opposition against SB 277 (abstinence-only until marriage sex education) which ultimately killed the bill for this legislative session here. 

Join us on June 6 from 6-8PM CST at the Bayard Rustin Community Center for a postcard writing party targeting Montgomery County State Legislators for their work on reproductive justice policy during the 2025 legislative session and going forward!  

Legislative wins this session:

• Alabama Legislature passes bill that exempts baby supplies, period products from sales tax
• Paid parental leave for Alabama state employees, educators moves closer to becoming law - al.com
• Alabama Legislature gives final approval to presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women | Alabama Reflector

Legislative losses this session:

• Gov. Kay Ivey signs bill putting sex-based terms into Alabama law | Alabama Reflector 

On February 24, nine members of the URGE PASA: Pro Abortion Student Association Board came together for an impactful California Advocacy Day and PASA Board retreat! We are proud of our PASA Board members for showing up at the California state house in Sacramento to speak about issues that impact their communities. PASA members spoke with legislators about the importance of promoting access to medication abortion at UC and CSU campus student health centers and working towards no-cost medication abortion at all California public universities. 

• Add your name to Strengthen Access to Abortion on Campus 
• Check out our Student Right to Access Act Factsheet 

Legislative sessions in Texas take place every two years, usually run a little more than four months, and they pack all the possible bills into that short time. Right now, Texas legislators are hearing the “Life of the Mother” bill, HB 44/SB 31, a bill disguised as a fix to Texas’s vague abortion laws but doesn’t clarify anything. On April 29, the bill passed the Senate 31-0, now is the time to tell your Texas House Representatives to Vote NO on this bill. While advocates have been able to mobilize to achieve amendments to the original version of the bill, to make it less harmful, the text still potentially opens the door to a stricter abortion ban being implemented. 

• Take action on HB 44!   

Stay tuned for the next policy update email coming out in June, in the meantime, enjoy the days getting longer and hopefully some spring weather 🌷.

 
In solidarity, 

URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
1012 14th Street NW, Suite 305
Washington, DC xxxxxx
United States

You are receiving this email because you signed up to be part of the young people’s movement for reproductive justice centering the leadership of young people of color who are women, queer, trans, nonbinary, and people of low-income. If you no longer want to receive emails from URGE, please unsubscribe.