Healthcare (Women's Health)

This Senate Joint Resolution proposes adding a constitutional amendment to West Virginia's Bill of Rights, guaranteeing individuals the right to make reproductive decisions - including contraception, fertility treatment, pregnancy continuation, miscarriage care, and abortion - without state interference. The amendment prohibits the state from restricting these rights unless it uses the "least restrictive means" to protect health, with abortion allowed after fetal viability only when necessary to protect the patient's life or health, as determined by a physician. It defines "fetal viability" as the point a fetus can survive outside the womb with medical care, assessed case-by-case by a treating physician. The amendment requires voter approval in the 2026 general election to take effect.

HB 4102 requires all publicly-funded medical schools in West Virginia to teach specific evidence-based, life-saving medical procedures. This includes abortion pill reversal (using progesterone within 72 hours of taking mifepristone), ectopic pregnancy treatment, miscarriage management, and perinatal hospice care. The bill mandates these topics be part of standard curriculum, with schools failing to comply risking loss of state funding after review by the Legislative Oversight Commission. It directly affects medical schools receiving state, local, or federal funding. The law cites public health and safety as justification, focusing on required teaching content rather than outcomes.

This bill requires West Virginia Medicaid to cover doula services for eligible pregnant individuals. It mandates that the state file a plan amendment defining a doula as a trained professional providing physical, emotional, and informational support from confirmed conception through 180 days postpartum. Coverage includes two prenatal and two postpartum visits, with each visit reimbursed at $125 (adjusted annually for inflation), to be implemented by October 1, 2027. This directly affects Medicaid-eligible pregnant women and new mothers in West Virginia, expanding their covered maternity care options. The policy change is limited to existing Medicaid beneficiaries meeting income eligibility requirements.