On Tuesday night, Gov. Joe Lombardo (R-NV) signed into law a measure that would prohibit extradition for out-of-state abortion seekers and prevent state medical licensing boards from punishing abortion providers.
State Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, a Democrat, thanked Lombardo on Twitter “for following through on his commitment to ensure that Nevada won't participate in prosecutions of women who come here to exercise their reproductive rights.”
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Today, #SB131 was signed by Governor Lombardo. I want thank him for following through on his commitment to ensure that Nevada won't participate in prosecutions of women who come here to exercise their reproductive rights. #nvleg pic.twitter.com/7gMxCazFix
— Nicole Cannizzaro (@Nicole4Nevada) May 30, 2023
The new law strictly prohibits the governor from extraditing non-Nevada residents to other states for criminal offenses “if the violation involves the provision or receipt of or assistance with certain reproductive health care services” unless the procedure is also criminal in Nevada. The legislation also prohibits state executive agencies from complying with other states’ criminal investigations for the provision of abortion services.
Anti-extradition laws in Democrat-controlled states have arisen in response to legislation in states such as Idaho that would criminalize traveling to other states for the procedure.
Additionally, the Nevada law prohibits state medical licensing boards from disqualifying licensure for healthcare professionals who provide or assist in “certain reproductive health services” and instructs the boards to assess the feasibility of offering licensure reciprocity for providers who can no longer conduct abortion procedures in their states.
It’s official! Gov. Lombardo signed SB131 into law! We are grateful to @Nicole4Nevada for leading the effort to protect Nevada’s abortion providers and out-of-state patients and to her fellow legislators who supported the effort at every step of the way. #nvleg pic.twitter.com/dl96PWUwGf
— Planned Parenthood Votes NV (@PPVotesNevada) May 31, 2023
Abortions are currently legal in Nevada up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and a legal framework was passed by ballot referendum in 1990. Medication, surgical, and induction abortions are listed as legal in the state and described on the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services website.
In March, Cannizzaro and 40 other Democratic state legislators initiated the amendment process to incorporate abortion rights into the state constitution, which would require the assent of the legislature over two legislative sessions before receiving a popular vote.
This session of the legislature approved the measure along partisan lines on May 10, and it will need to go to another vote during the 2025 legislative session before being placed on the ballot in 2026.
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A similar version of the content of the law was instituted as an executive order by former Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak.
During his campaign for governor against Sisolak, Lombardo poised himself against his opponent’s penchant for executive orders but clarified that he would not repeal the abortion extradition executive order unless the state legislature took steps to codify its provisions.