Governor Pritzker Signs Landmark Bill to Ensure Campus Access to Medication Abortion and Contraception
Media Contact:
Eleanor Grano, Communications Manager, Chicago Abortion Fund
Email: communications@chicagoabortionfund.org
Phone: (708) 552-0477
CHICAGO, IL — August 22, 2025 — This morning, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed H.B. 3709, a groundbreaking law that makes Illinois the first state in the Midwest to guarantee that students at public colleges and universities can access medication abortion and contraception through campus health services.
The law takes effect immediately, but the student access requirement applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year. Under H.B. 3709, public colleges and universities must provide access through student health centers, telehealth, or licensed external providers; and if a campus has a pharmacy, that pharmacy must dispense prescribed contraception and (where applicable) medication abortion.
The signing of H.B. 3709 comes at a critical moment, as young people across the country continue to face mounting restrictions on abortion access, especially in states where campus health centers are barred from providing care.
Illinois now joins a small but growing number of states ensuring students can access abortion care where they live and learn. California was the first to enact a campus medication abortion law in 2019, with implementation beginning in 2023. Massachusetts followed in 2022, and New York in 2023.
“This legislation is a critical step in ensuring that Illinois students can access medication abortion care when they need it — without leaving campus or facing delays that increase costs and complexity,” said Alicia Hurtado, Advocacy and Communications Director at the Chicago Abortion Fund. “Abortion is common and essential healthcare, and students deserve the same access on campus as they do to any other form of basic medical care. By becoming the first state in the Midwest to guarantee public university campus access to medication abortion and contraception, Illinois is sending a clear message: our young people’s health and futures matter.”
CAF applauds the leadership of Governor Pritzker and the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Barbara Hernandez and Sen. Celina Villanueva, as well as UIUC student advocates and coalition partners who pushed this bill over the finish line.
######
The Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) is the largest independent abortion fund in the country. For 40 years, we've been tearing down barriers to abortion care in Chicago, the Midwest, and beyond. We’re not just providing funding; we’re supporting our callers in accessing freedom, dignity, and autonomy.
CAF offers support for people seeking abortion care in Illinois including, procedure funding, travel and related needs like childcare, emotional support and logistical expertise. The organization has relationships with abortion clinics across Illinois and beyond, and supports people nationwide coming to Illinois for care. Since the Dobbs decision, CAF has received support requests from over 40,000 people. In 2024 alone, CAF fielded over 16,000 support requests and distributed over $7 million in direct assistance.