Abortion in Vermont

A 2014 Pew Research Center poll showed 70% of adults in the state believed abortion should be legal in most or all cases, the second highest percentage in the country.

[8] In February 2019, Vermont House Human Services and Judiciary committees held public hearings about abortion in relation to H.57, a bill to establish reproductive rights in state law.

[9][10] Receiving endorsements from Republican Governor Phil Scott, Planned Parenthood, and ACLU Vermont, the amendment went before voters in November 2022 and overwhelmingly passed, with about 77% voting in favor.

[4][5][11] Personal reproductive libertyThat an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.In 1972, the Vermont Supreme Court issued a ruling that effectively ended abortion restrictions in the state.

[7] The US Supreme Court's decision in 1973's Roe v. Wade meant the state could no longer regulate abortion in the first trimester.

[7] The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022, returning the matter to the states.