DELAWAREÂ - Lawmakers in the First State are quickly taking action to expand abortion access. That is ahead of the expected Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade.
Delaware is looking to expand who can provide abortions after House Bill 455 passed 24-13.
Planned Parenthood of Delaware says it already has doctors who provide surgical abortions at its Seaford facility.
But this would allow trained physician assistants, nurses, and midwives to also do the procedure.
"They have similar types of procedures that they provide like LARC, a long-acting contraceptive, a colposcopy, are two just really simple examples of skillsets that are similar to this," said Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of Delaware.
The Delaware Family Council says it strongly opposes this bill and abortion in general.
A statement read:
"Surgical abortion is a precise surgical procedure with devastating risks. When concerns were raised in the hearing for HB 455 regarding expanding who can perform surgical abortions, the bill sponsor and supporters dismissed those concerns in saying that this is already within the scope of practice and the law is simply catching up to that.
However, it was previously stated in an earlier hearing that APRN's did not have the ability to perform surgical abortions," said Nandi Randolph, the Policy Analyst.
Lytle-Barnaby says everyone will go through proper training.
"You have to show the provider that's signing you off on it that's giving you those privileges that you are competent in it, you watch you learn, you provide skill and then you get signed off," explained Lytle-Barnaby.
Some people opposed to this bill say they wish the focus in the House were on preventing unwanted pregnancy rather than passing a law that would expand access to abortion.
"We do provide all the services necessary to prevent unintended pregnancy our goal is that we don't diminish one family planning service that we have in order to provide more abortion services," added Lytle-Barnaby.
House Bill 455 would also prevent insurers from increasing premiums or taking adverse actions against providers.
There's also legal protection for women from other states who come to Delaware to get an abortion.
Delaware Family Policy Council says:
"Because HB455 gives special protections to medical professionals who perform surgical abortions on out-of-state individuals, this bill makes Delaware an abortion hotspot."
No matter what side of the debate all awaits a decision that could rewrite history.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. The Supreme Court decision could come at any time before early July.