FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2017
Contact: Cathy Junia: 773-213-4725 / cjunia@napawf.org

CHICAGO – Today, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed HB 40, a bill that removes bans that deny insurance coverage for abortion to women enrolled in Medicaid and State Employee Health Insurance in Illinois. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement in response:

“The signing of HB 40 into law is a massive win for communities of color in Illinois. We applaud the brave and bold women, men, transgender and gender non-conforming residents that showed up, spoke out and fought hard to protect our basic human right to make decisions about when, if and how to parent.

“The Asian-American community overwhelmingly supports a woman’s right to choose and understand women’s health issues as an important priority. HB 40 is a commonsense policy that respects our health and supports our personal decisions.

“Under the Trump administration, we are potentially facing the greatest threat to reproductive rights in more than a generation. HB 40 ensures that abortion will remain legal in Illinois, regardless of what happens at the federal level.

“Because of this new law, women enrolled in Illinois Medicaid will no longer be barred from using their coverage for abortion. Illinois is the first state in decades to lift its restriction on Medicaid coverage of abortion.

“When health programs cover birth control and abortion – not just childbirth – and people can plan if and when to have children, it’s good for everyone.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF): NAPAWF is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls.