The North Carolina General Assembly entered the short legislative session last month without a budget, meaning this session was going to be anything but typical. The fallout from March's primary that ended some long-term incumbents' legislative careers, coupled with typical political grandstanding that passes as policy debate, means this may end up being yet another unproductive legislative session. 

It does not have to be this way! Luckily, we have several reproductive freedom legislative champions who take their job to protect and support the people of North Carolina seriously, and they introduced multiple proactive bills. If these bills were to pass, they would help us build the world we want to see—one that protects bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom for all. 

These efforts include bills such as:

• HB 1120 - Financial Effectiveness and Transparency Act
  • A bill to direct public health dollars to evidence-based, proven maternal health programs and require more transparent reporting for anti-abortion centers that receive state tax dollars. 
• SB 906/HB 1195 - NC MOMnibus 3.5
  • A bill to highlight and address Black maternal health disparities, advance research into programs that improve Black maternal and infant health, and provide better community support for families.
• SB 907/HB 1172 - The Ciji Graham Act
  • A bill to require pregnant patients receive emergency care. This bill is named after a Greensboro woman who died because she could not get the care she needed due to her pregnancy. 
• SB 908 - Janell Green Smith Maternal Care Acct. Act
  • A bill named for a Greenville, SC midwife and Doctor of Nursing Practice who died this past January after delivering her daughter.
• SB 909 - The Building Understanding of Movement in Pregnancy (BUMP) Act
• SB 910 - Expanding Insurance Coverage for Fertility Care
• SB 911 - Protect Children Born from Fertility Care Act
• SB 912 - Menopause Omnibus
• SB 1061 - Protect Moms Who Serve

These are all bills that prioritize bodily autonomy, improving maternal health outcomes (especially for Black women and Black people who can be pregnant), and protecting our right to access comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care. 

Unfortunately, because partisan politics dominate our legislature, these critical bills will most likely not get a hearing this session. But, take action today and call and email your legislators to demand that they focus on people-centered bills like those listed above, rather than giving more tax breaks to corporations. 

• You can use this form on our website to send an email to both your Senator and House member. 
• You can find the phone numbers for your legislators here.
  • When you call them, state your name and that you are a constituent. Then provide a brief statement of what you want the lawmaker to do (support a specific bill, protect reproductive healthcare generally, expand access to healthcare, etc.).
    

This is also an election year--the entire General Assembly is up for re-election, and while the state legislative map is heavily gerrymandered, there are competitive races. Start thinking about the election now, and make your plan to vote! You can also volunteer with organizations to help get out the vote, help work the polls, or even support a candidate you really believe in. Finally, make a plan to talk to everyone in your network about the importance of voting the whole ballot this November.

The North Carolina of 2026 is very different from the North Carolina of 2011, in large part because of policy decisions our political leadership has made. One hopeful thing about the future is that it is unwritten. Together, we can and will make the changes we need to build a more responsive, equitable, and fair government for ourselves and our communities, one that truly embraces reproductive freedom for all. Whether you are contacting your elected officials or planning a voting party with your neighbors, thank you for being part of that change!