A proposal that would require Colorado colleges and universities to offer abortion medication through their campus health centers cleared its first legislative hurdle Thursday, advancing out of the House Education Committee after hours of testimony from supporters and opponents.

House Bill 1355 exempts religious-based institutions but includes public, private, and community colleges. Democratic sponsors Reps. Lorena Garcia and Kenny Nguyen claim the measure is a response to Amendment 79, a constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion, approved by voters in 2024.

The bill passed on an 8-5 party-line vote, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against it. The bill will now be debated on the House floor.

Several Republicans on the committee questioned the bill’s fiscal note, which states it would have no cost to the state. Republican Rep. Anthony Hartsook, noted that a similar law in California cost $6 million.

Garcia responded that HB 1335 would not impose state costs because students, not the state, would pay for the medication.

According to Nguyen, states like California, New York, and Illinois have passed similar laws requiring abortion medication to be made available at college health centers.

“I believe that reproductive rights are truly under attack in the federal government, and this continues to codify laws in the state of Colorado to protect access to abortion,” he said.

Critics of the measure argued it should also require campus health centers to provide pregnant students with information about adoption and the potential negative side effects associated with abortion medication.

According to Colleen Enos of Christian Home Educators of Colorado, a study found that about 10% of women who take mifepristone, the most common abortion medication, experience “serious adverse effects.”

The bill would force universities to “destroy preborn lives and women’s health,” she said.

Nathan Fisher of the Colorado Catholic Conference said the bill hurts young women “who may be in distressing circumstances” by providing them with a medication that “will likely cause long-lasting harm” and “lead to the destruction of more human life in Colorado.”

While sponsors say the bill will create more equality, Fisher argued it would do the opposite.

“While House Bill 1335 is intended to support young women in college, it is hurting them,” he said. “Where is the support for students who may regret this decision or who are being coerced into it? Instead of providing life-affirming and women-supporting options, 1335 focuses entirely on ending the life of a preborn child to the detriment of a young mother.”

College students from across Colorado, including several who shared their own experiences with abortion, told lawmakers that campus health centers are essential for students who lack the time, transportation, or ability to travel to off‑campus clinics.

Paola Ordonez Sanchez, a senior at Colorado State University, said she had an abortion last fall after an unintended pregnancy.

Coordinating her school schedule and finding transportation to an off-campus clinic was “incredibly difficult,” especially on top of the emotional stress she was dealing with at the time, Rojas said.

“If abortion medication had been accessible through a campus health center, it would have significantly reduced the logistical, financial, and emotional burden that I navigated during such a vulnerable moment,” she said. “College campuses in our state already provide essential health care services because they recognize that students face unique challenges when accessing care off-campus, and reproductive health care should be no different.” 

A University of Colorado student who identified herself only as Stephanie told lawmakers that her campus health center was a lifeline during her freshman year, when she was new to the area and didn’t have a car.

“Because I was isolated from what was familiar, being able to access health care on campus eased a lot of anxiety,” she said. “It is the most convenient way to access the care I need.”

Student health centers serve as pharmacies, drug stores, and care providers all in one convenient location, and students often build trusting relationships with campus health care providers that last throughout their college careers.

Garcia acknowledged that abortion is a moral issue for many people, but argued that the decision on HB 1335 is not about morality, saying it concerns a constitutional right in Colorado.

“Given the fact that now we have a constitutional right to abortion care in this state, it’s imperative that we make sure that all of our institutions ensure that that right exists,” she said.

Republican Rep. Lori Garcia Sander called the bill an unfunded mandate and argued that students could just purchase abortion medication online if they wanted it.

“I’m not sure why we need a bill for this when there is so much access,” she said.

Garcia argued that some students prefer to meet with a health care provider in person, and that option should be available to them.