A concurrent resolution expressing support for the recognition of March 10, 2026, as "Abortion Provider Appreciation Day".
- Bill Number
- S.Con.Res. 28
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-10: Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S966)
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-13T15:08:18Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 28) aims to express congressional support for designating March 10, 2026, as "Abortion Provider Appreciation Day." It honors the work of abortion providers and staff, acknowledges challenges they face due to legal restrictions and violence, and reaffirms a commitment to abortion access and provider safety.
Key Provisions
- Recognition of the Day: Congress recognizes March 10, 2026, as a day to celebrate the courage, compassion, and high-quality care provided by abortion providers and staff to patients and families nationwide.
- Appreciation for Communities: It praises communities that support and host abortion providers and staff.
- Commitment to Safety and Access: Congress affirms its dedication to protecting providers' safety, ensuring they can deliver essential care, and guaranteeing patients' rights to abortion access without fear of violence, criminal charges, or stigma, regardless of location.
- Condemnation of Restrictions: It criticizes Supreme Court decisions (specifically the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade), actions by the current administration, and anti-abortion extremists for limiting and stigmatizing abortion care, which harms providers, staff, and communities.
- Vision for the Future: The resolution declares a goal of eliminating all abortion bans and restrictions, ensuring full access to care without penalties or stigma, and pledges congressional partnership with providers, patients, advocates, and communities to achieve this.
The preamble provides context, including the history of the date (honoring Dr. David Gunn, killed in 1993), the impact of state bans post-Dobbs, clinic closures, violence statistics, and disproportionate effects on people of color and underserved areas.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This is a non-binding concurrent resolution, meaning it expresses Congress's opinion but does not create, amend, or repeal any laws. It introduces no legal changes, such as new regulations or funding, and requires agreement from both the Senate and House but not presidential approval to be adopted.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Minimal direct impact, as it is symbolic; however, it could encourage agencies like the Department of Justice to prioritize enforcement of laws protecting clinics (e.g., the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prevents violence and obstruction at reproductive health facilities).
- On Citizens: May raise public awareness of providers' challenges, support access to abortion care (especially in states with bans affecting about 27 million women of reproductive age, including over half of Black women), and highlight health risks like worsened maternal outcomes or poverty from denied care. It could indirectly aid patients by fostering community support but does not alter access rights.
- On International Relations: No direct impact, as the resolution focuses on domestic U.S. issues.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Abortion Providers and Staff: Directly honored and supported; addresses their safety, harassment, and workload strains from clinic closures and patient surges.
- Patients and Communities: Emphasizes rights to care without barriers; benefits those in underserved or restricted areas, including people of color facing higher violence and inequities.
- Advocates and Organizations: Groups like Planned Parenthood (noted for 51 center closures in 2025) and the National Abortion Federation (cited for violence data) are implicitly supported through calls for partnership.
- Anti-Abortion Groups and Extremists: Indirectly criticized for violence and restrictions, potentially heightening political tensions.
- Congress and the Administration: Positions lawmakers as advocates for reproductive rights; critiques current policies on enforcement and pardons.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: As a resolution, it has no enforceable effect but underscores ongoing debates over abortion post-Dobbs, which shifted regulation to states (leading to bans in 20 states by March 2026). It references existing laws like the Clinic Entrances Act without proposing changes.
- Constitutional: Highlights tensions with the First Amendment (balancing free speech against clinic access) and Fourteenth Amendment rights to privacy and bodily autonomy, critiquing Dobbs as an "erroneous" reversal of precedent without creating new constitutional claims.
- Political: Serves as a partisan statement (introduced by Democratic senators) in a divided Congress, potentially mobilizing support for reproductive justice (a framework emphasizing human rights to bodily autonomy, coined by Black women in 1994). It could influence elections or policy by condemning violence (e.g., 11 murders since 1977) and administration inaction, while envisioning a future without bans, amid reports of ongoing harassment and clinic strains.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (12)
Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI], Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL], Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM], Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA], Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA], Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-10: Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S966)
- 2026-03-10: Submitted in Senate
Bill Versions
- Expressing support for the recognition of March 10, 2026, as Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. — issued 2026-03-10 — PDF (7 pages)