Overview of Abortion Policies and Access
Abortion laws and regulations vary by state, creating a complex system that determines when and how providers can offer care. We will work to keep this page updated with the most current information available and effective for Montana abortion laws.
House Bill 388 Needs Our Help (as of 2/14/2025)
This is bill needs to pass in order to protect the work that LaVie Health does.
This bill will:
- Prohibit state and local officials from forcing a pregnancy center to perform or refer a woman for abortion.
- Ensure state and local officials cannot prohibit a pregnancy center from providing pregnancy care, counseling services, or any other service related to pregnancy, perinatal care, or postpartum care simply because it does not perform, counsel in favor of, or provide referrals for abortion.
- Prohibiting state and local officials from seeking to limit the free expression and free association rights of pregnancy centers.
- Providing a legal remedy for pregnancy centers when their rights are violated. Otherwise, centers may be left with no recourse.
To read the bill itself, click here.
What you can do:
- Pray
- Call your state representative
- Share the truth about this bill and protect our freedoms to serve women
Montana’s Abortion Rights (Effective January 16, 2025)
- Abortion Ban at Fetal Viability
- Abortions are banned after fetal viability, typically at 24–26 weeks of pregnancy. After that, abortion is legal only when a medical emergency makes an abortion necessary to prevent a serious physical health risk to the pregnant patient.
- Parental Notice Requirement
- Minors must notify a parent or guardian before obtaining an abortion.
- Medicaid Coverage for Abortion
- State Medicaid funds are available to cover abortion services.
- Expanded Provider Eligibility
- Qualified health care professionals, not just physicians, are authorized to provide abortion care.
- Protections for Clinic Access
- State laws protect patients and staff from harassment and physical harm when entering abortion clinics.
With the passing of CI-128 by 57% of Montana voters on November 5th, 2024, it has since been incorporated into the state constitution. The many ambiguities in the language of CI-128 are very likely to lead to future legal interpretations or challenges. Abortions aren’t going away and CI-128 doesn’t change our mission, but it does clarify and refine it in 2 ways:
We want to have an even stronger and more intentional focus on:
Public Awareness Campaigns: Educating the public on alternatives to abortion and promoting resources available for pregnant individuals. As well as educating the church and bodies of believers on all things abortions and all things facing abortion-minded women. This is only helpful when we also emphasize the increase of support services.
Support Services: LaVie is committed to enhancing and elevating the support, resources and services that assist individuals in carrying pregnancies to term. We hope you will help us with this mission.
Protections for Abortion Patients and Clinic Staff
A few other laws that are in effect in Montana include:
- Prohibited Activities Near Clinics
- Activities such as vandalism or obstruction are banned near abortion clinics.
- Buffer Zones
- Fixed zones around clinics prevent protestors from entering specific areas.
- Bubble Zones
- Floating zones create a buffer of several feet around individuals entering or exiting clinics to prevent intimidation.
