Oregon Backs Nationwide Effort to Defend Emergency Abortion Access in Wake of Federal Rollback
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a coalition of 21 other attorneys general on Tuesday in a letter to the American Hospital Association reaffirming that hospitals across the country are legally obliged to provide emergency abortion following the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke federal guidance.
Oregon Joins AG Coalition Opposing Federal Actions On Emergency Abortions
The letter from the AG’s coalition is a response to the Trump Administration’s revocation of federal guidance under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Although Oregon law already safeguards access to emergency abortion care, the state joined the coalition to stand in solidarity with states where patients and providers are increasingly left in legal limbo.
AG Rayfield said:
“Oregon law already protects this care, but every patient deserves clarity—no matter where they live.”
The Oregon Legislature passed The Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) in 2017- while AG Rayfield still served there, ensuring broad access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, for Oregonians regardless of income, citizenship status, gender identity, or insurance type.
EMTALA, enacted in 1986, requires Medicare-participating hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment—including abortion care—when it is medically necessary to treat a pregnant patient with an emergency condition. The Trump Administration’s rescission of 2022 guidance does not change that legal obligation.
The coalition states that federal agencies cannot unilaterally rewrite laws passed by Congress and confirms that EMTALA remains in full force and effect nationwide, regardless of changes in administration priorities or guidance documents.
The AGs noted that denying emergency abortion care- often critical for conditions such as ectopic pregnancy, hemorrhaging, preeclampsia, placental abruption, or amniotic fluid embolism can lead to irreversible harm, potentially causing infertility, organ failure, or death.
The letter reaffirms the commitment of AGs nationwide to ensure that hospitals continue providing this essential emergency medical care, even in states with restrictive abortion laws.