By Logan B. Anderson

DOVER — Nearly a week after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, lawmakers in Dover approved a measure that would expand abortion access in the First State and shield providers of reproductive health care from laws targeting them in other states.

“The Supreme Court recently handed down the opinion that effectively strips women of their rights. And so many people are asking, ‘Where do we go from here?’” said Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Talleyville.

Abortion access has been legal in Delaware prior to viability, to protect the health or life of the mother, and in cases of severe fetal anomalies. In 2017 lawmakers went further, codifying the principles of the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision into state law.

House Bill 455 works to expand access to abortion in Delaware by allowing physicians assistants, certified nurse midwives and certified nurse practitioners to perform abortions.

“Delaware was previously, what we would call, a physician-only state. This bill allows for the use of this procedure by these medical professionals for the purposes of terminating a pregnancy,” Sen. Gay said.

Supporters of the bill emphasized that abortions performed by non-physicians would be safe. Under future regulations to be issued by the Delaware Board of Nursing, non-physicians would only perform earlier-term abortions.

The bill further protects access to abortion in the First State by protecting practitioners here. If a person from another state comes to Delaware from a place where traveling for an abortion is illegal, the law will protect the identified specialists from nonfugitive extradition.

The measure also would allow those who have been successfully sued under another state’s law for an abortion performed legally in Delaware to sue right back — for the same amount. The bill would also prohibit health care providers from disclosing records relating to patients’ use of reproductive health services.

Some state senators on Tuesday objected to the measure because they thought it would encourage people to come to Delaware for the purpose of having an abortion.

“Delaware is going to be the abortion capital of the East Coast. That is what this is going to do. I just find it hard to understand why that is a good thing,” said Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover.

Others objected because of their beliefs.

“Health care should not include the taking of human life. This is not health care,” said Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Seaford.

House Bill 455 passed the Senate with a vote of 15-6.

The measure will now head to Gov. John Carney’s desk and will go into effect with his signature.