Bill
SB 413
SB 413 declares contraception use a fundamental liberty and that the state has no legitimate interest in limiting it; a declaratory policy guiding courts and agencies.
Status and key dates
- Bill: SB 413 — “Right to Use Contraception”
- Legislative action (selected): Introduced March 25, 2025; enacted and chaptered as Chapter 221, Statutes of 2025; approved by the Governor (recorded 2025-10-01). The statute takes effect when it becomes law (see legislative entry for final effective date on enactment).
- Where added: Amends Chapter 90 of the General Statutes by adding a new Article (Article 44).
Purpose and intent
- The bill declares a state policy recognizing that the decision to use contraception to prevent pregnancy implicates a fundamental liberty interest. Its stated purpose is to make clear that the State has no legitimate governmental interest in limiting an individual’s freedom to use contraception to prevent pregnancy.
What the bill does (plain-language description of provisions)
- Creates a short standalone Article titled the “Right to Use Contraception Act.”
- Adds two sections:
- § 90‑751.1 — Title: designates the Article’s short title.
- § 90‑751.2 — Legislative declaration: states that the right to use contraception to prevent pregnancy is a fundamental liberty and that the State has no legitimate governmental interest in limiting that freedom.
Who is affected
- Individuals: persons seeking to use contraception to prevent pregnancy in the state (the declaration is aimed at protecting individuals’ reproductive liberty).
- State actors and agencies: the statute expresses a public policy that can guide state agencies, regulators, and officials when interpreting or applying state law related to contraception and pregnancy prevention.
- Courts and litigants: judges may consider the declaration when construing statutes, assessing challenges to laws/regulations that limit access to contraception, or weighing due‑process/liberty arguments in litigation. Health care providers, insurers, and public health programs could be indirectly affected depending on subsequent administrative or judicial interpretations.
Practical effect and limitations
- Declaratory, not prescriptive: the bill is largely a policy/legislative declaration rather than a detailed regulatory or enforcement regime. It does not itself specify remedies, create a private cause of action, or expressly repeal or amend any specific existing statute that might restrict contraception.
- Legal influence: because it frames state policy and recognizes a fundamental liberty interest, the provision could be cited in litigation challenging contraception restrictions, or relied on by agencies and courts when interpreting ambiguous statutes. The ultimate legal effect will depend on how courts and administrative bodies apply the declaration in particular cases.
Procedural / implementation notes
- No implementing regulations, licensing changes, or appropriations are attached to the text.
- Because the bill is short and declaratory, any operational impact will flow from subsequent litigation, rulemaking, or administrative guidance that cites the new statutory declaration.
Bottom line
- SB 413 formally states that preventing pregnancy via contraception falls within a fundamental liberty and that the State lacks a legitimate interest in limiting that freedom. Its immediate legal force is as a statement of public policy; its longer-term impact will depend on how courts and state agencies interpret and apply that declaration to specific laws, regulations, and disputes.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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