HARRISBURG, PA — A proposed amendment to Pennsylvania’s Constitution that would protect abortion rights could soon be debated in the state Senate.
While abortion is legal in Pennsylvania, the amendment would codify the right to abortion until fetal viability in the state Constitution. An exception would allow the procedure after that point to protect the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant individual.
“It speaks to how far we’ve come in Pennsylvania,” House Majority Whip Michael Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, said. “One of the first votes that I took when I was a freshman was on a bill that would make it harder to get insurance coverage for abortion, and now here we are, 14 years later, voting to essentially codify Roe v. Wade in Pennsylvania.”
Schlossberg also pointed to a constitutional amendment proposed in 2022 that stated the Constitution would not grant the right to taxpayer-funded abortion or any other abortion-related right. Though the measure ultimately failed, he cited it as a reason the current proposal is necessary.
House Bill 1957 passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in December by a razor-thin 102-101 vote. Two Republican lawmakers crossed party lines to support the Democratic majority, while one Democrat voted no.
Schlossberg said public opinion has shifted in favor of less restrictive abortion laws since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which allowed states to set their own abortion policies.
However, he said Republican lawmakers may not reflect that shift out of concern they could face primary challenges from anti-abortion candidates.
After clearing the House, the amendment faces additional hurdles. The Senate State Government Committee, which has a 7-4 Republican majority, is scheduled to consider the measure next.
If approved by the committee, it would advance to the full Senate. Constitutional amendments must pass both chambers in two consecutive legislative sessions before appearing on the ballot for voter approval.
“I am extremely doubtful it will pass the Senate as long as Republicans control it, but I have no problem asking them to do it anyway,” Schlossberg said. “We can’t avoid passing good legislation because we’re afraid of what a Republican-controlled body will do.”
With midterm elections set for 2026, Senate Republicans on the State Government Committee are expected to take up the measure while they retain control of the chamber.
Reps. Joe Emrick, R-Northampton, and Milou Mackenzie, R-Lehigh, did not respond to requests for comment.
Constantine Lambridis is a recent graduate of Lehigh University with a double major in Journalism and History. At Lehigh, he served as the Sports Editor and Managing Editor of Multimedia at the school’s student-run newspaper. He is passionate about covering stories at the heart of the community and is an ardent believer in the impact of local journalism.