An executive order signed by President Joe Biden on Friday will provide at least some protections for people living in U.S. states that are either banning or restricting abortions.
The signing comes after Tennessee, and more than a dozen other states, made moves to ban abortions in most cases after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
More: Explainer: How the Dobbs decision affects Tennesseans’ reproductive options
Vanderbilt law professor Ellen Clayton says, while the president’s order doesn’t reverse Tennessee’s ban, it does hold some weight.
“He reiterated the obligation of health care plans that provide coverage under the Affordable Care Act for abortion and contraception,” Clayton says.
Another part of Biden’s order directs the federal health department to consider ways to combat misinformation.
“That’s going to be a heavy lift in the current environment,” Clayton says, “but I think that’s important.”
The order also provides more protections for mobile clinics that have been set up on state borders for out-of-town patients. The Biden administration has also committed to working with lawyers to provide free legal help to people seeking reproductive services.
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