Reproductive Rights and Protections in Minnesota
In Doe v. Gomez, the Minnesota Supreme Court first recognized that the Minnesota Constitution guarantees the fundamental right of privacy to choose between childbirth and abortion. In January 2023, Governor Walz signed Minnesota’s Protect Reproductive Options Act into law, affirming Minnesotans’ fundamental right to make independent decisions about their own reproductive health, including the right to use or refuse reproductive health care, continue a pregnancy and give birth, or obtain an abortion. The Act specifically prohibits local governments from restricting a person’s ability to freely exercise their fundamental right to reproductive health care.
Governor Walz also signed a separate set of protections into law during the 2023 legislative session for (1) individuals who travel into Minnesota for reproductive health care and (2) the individuals and entities that provide reproductive health care to out-of-state travelers. For additional information regarding these new protections, refer to Chapter 31 - MN Laws.
Summary of Findings: Safety, Effectiveness, and Importance of Abortion Care in Minnesota
On June 25, 2022, Governor Tim Walz issued Emergency Executive Order 22-16: Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services in Minnesota directing the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Human Services to assess and summarize the safety, effectiveness, and importance of abortion care in Minnesota . The agencies presented their Summary of Findings: Safety, Effectiveness, and Importance of Abortion Care in Minnesota (PDF) to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Legislature on August 1, 2022.
Public Health Care Programs Cover Abortion Services
In Minnesota, the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare Programs cover abortion and abortion-related services. Find out more information at Minnesota Department of Human Services: Abortion Services.
Required Health Care Provider and Facility Reporting
Each year by no later than September 30, physicians and facilities that performed an abortion procedure in Minnesota over the previous calendar year must complete and submit a form to MDH. Minnesota law states that all reporting data that could reasonably lead to identification of individual patients or providers is confidential data. MDH publishes a de-identified summary of key statistics for each reporting year at Induced Abortion in Minnesota. Please refer to Minnesota Statutes, section 145.4131 for a more detailed description of these annual reporting requirements.