RICHMOND, Va. (VIRGINIA MERCURY) – Virginia moved closer Monday to shielding doctors from extradition if they provide reproductive or gender-affirming healthcare to out-of-state patients, advancing legislation that underscores the deepening divide over healthcare access and state sovereignty, Virginia Mercury reports.
The Senate narrowly passed Senate Bill 1098, sponsored by Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, which would block the extradition of healthcare providers facing criminal charges in other states for performing medical services that are legal in Virginia. Every Republican opposed the measure.
Healthcare providers have felt a “chilling effect” amid the national crackdown on abortion and transgender care, Hashmi said. Some states are “already imposing their laws onto other states,” she warned, citing a recent case in Louisiana where a New York doctor was indicted for prescribing an abortion pill online.
Republicans, however, pushed back hard. During 40 minutes of debate, GOP senators raised concerns over minors receiving gender-affirming care or abortion medication from Virginia-based doctors via telemedicine.
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