CAF Activist Spotlight: Illinois’ Fight To Pass House Bill 40

This month, we are spotlighting Illinois' fight to pass House Bill 40, a network of national and state pro-abortion advocates, including CAF, who organized for years to end the harmful reach of the Hyde Amendment in our state.

In 2017, the work paid off. After years of advocacy, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 40 (HB40) into law, ensuring that abortion would be covered under Medicaid, and repealing a “trigger ban” that would have immediately outlawed abortion in Illinois if Roe v. Wade was overturned.

This victory highlights the power of abortion storytelling and the leadership of people who’ve had abortions in our movement. In a private meeting with Gov. Rauner, former CAF Executive Director Brittany Mostiller shared her abortion story directly with him. Her story cut through politics and showed who is harmed when abortion care is denied. As Brittany explained: “When Medicaid insurance doesn’t cover abortion, it forces people to make impossible decisions and endure added delays, harm, and stigma.”

Since HB40's passage, the impact has been profound. Research shows that long-standing gaps in timely access between Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients nearly disappeared once HB40 took effect. HB40 didn’t just expand coverage — it built the foundation Illinois and CAF would rely on when Roe was dismantled. 

Today, HB40’s legacy proves that when advocates are able to organize boldly, we can pass transformative laws that prepare us for future crises. Victories like HB40 remind us that taking risks and not playing it safe is what positioned Illinois to become a national access point post-Roe, with nearly one in four people traveling across state lines for abortion care in the U.S. coming to our state.