Women seeking medication abortion from Planned Parenthood of Montana will now be required to show proof of residency in a bid to prevent the sale of pills to women from states where abortions are banned.
The decision, relayed to staff in an email that was revealed by Montana freelance reporter Hunter Pauli, comes in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade and appears to be an attempt to shield the organization from lawsuits or criminal charges. Eligibility for surgical abortions will remain unchanged.
“The risks around cross-state provision of services are currently less than clear, with the potential for both civil and criminal action for providing abortions in states with bans,” Planned Parenthood Montana President Martha Fuller told staff in an email.