Public-private-nonprofit initiative will provide free legal advice & information on reproductive health
Joined by reproductive health advocates, Attorney General Jennings announced Wednesday the launch of the Attorney General’s Abortion Legal Helpline, a collaborative initiative led by the Department of Justice with support from nearly a dozen partner law firms, and several nonprofit and advocacy groups including the ACLU of Delaware, Planned Parenthood of Delaware, the First State Abortion Fund, Delaware NOW (National Organization for Women), Black Mothers in Power, the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice, and Women’s March Sussex.
The Helpline will provide free legal advice to anyone in need of guidance after the Supreme Court’s June Dobbs decision, including: “know your rights” guidance and referrals to Delawareans seeking abortions; patients seeking to travel to Delaware to obtain an abortion; people and organizations providing support to these patients; and healthcare providers.
“Abortion is legal in Delaware, but millions of women in our sister states face legal and medical peril because of their states’ draconian abortion laws,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Our Abortion Legal Helpline is 100% free, completely confidential, and ready to help anyone — be they residents of our state, visitors, or providers. I am grateful to the attorneys from our world-class legal community – both in the DOJ and in the private sector – and to our friends in the nonprofit and advocacy community who are helping so many in this time of need.”
The AG’s Abortion Legal Helpline can be reached at (302) 992-8096 or toll-free at (877) 312-2366. In order to ensure anonymity, callers will be asked to leave a message with their question, a callback number, and any instructions on when or how they prefer to be contacted. Those who prefer not to call may also submit written questions online at de.gov/abortionhelpline.
The Helpline’s cost-free team of lawyers is managed through the Department of Justice, and intake for questions and referrals will be jointly administered by the Department of Justice and the ACLU of Delaware. Legal questions will be answered on a pro bono basis by attorneys in partner law firms, while service and support referrals will be referred to partner nonprofits including Planned Parenthood of Delaware and the First State Abortion Fund.
“Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s unprecedented and dangerous decision to overturn nearly five decades of court precedents, many people across the nation have wondered what the legal status of abortion is.,” said Mike Brickner, executive director of the ACLU of Delaware. “Today, we deliver a simple message for Delawareans and anyone who may come to Delaware seeking abortion care: abortion is legal here and the legal community has your back. The ACLU of Delaware is proud to support the Attorney General’s Abortion Legal Helpline as the latest step in the effort to fortify abortion access in our state. We look forward to connecting the people who seek abortion care and providers with pro bono lawyers who are dedicated to assisting them.”
“Planned Parenthood of Delaware is grateful to the Department of Justice and the numerous private attorneys who have offered their assistance,” said Ruth Lytle-Barnaby, president of Planned Parenthood of Delaware. “As states attack reproductive rights like never before, offering protections and resources for patients and providers is more important than ever. This initiative should help both answer questions pertaining to providing and accessing care and ensure that those in need are able to obtain an abortion. People deserve the right to receive medical services without fear of official reprisal.”
“This new service being provided by the Delaware Department of Justice is a critical and timely one,” said Sarah Stowens, board president of the First State Abortion Fund. “Our organization knows that providing funding is just one piece of the puzzle. We look forward to working with the DOJ and other advocates to not just fund abortions, but to provide legal guidance and logistical support for anyone seeking reproductive health services in the First State.”
“On the day Roe was overturned, Attorney General Jennings reached out to Delaware NOW and other key reproductive justice advocates to set up a time to meet and discuss how the DOJ could best respond to this crisis,” said Melissa Froemming, president of Delaware NOW (National Organization for Women). “She asked for our input regarding what her office could do – and then she took that input and made sure to act upon it with urgency. On behalf of Delaware’s women and birthing people, we thank the AG for prioritizing a swift and impactful response, and for meaningfully including each of us as partners in this process. Today, the AG’s Abortion Legal Helpline has been established and is being launched. We thank the Attorney General and her staff for consistently and actively defending the right to abortion as basic health care in Delaware – including fighting local efforts to limit abortion access, ensuring patients and providers are armed with reliable, accessible information, and providing access to legal resources to patients coming here from out of state and to the providers that serve them.”
The Helpline will also develop legal resources for patients, providers, and supporters; provide guidance on organizational policies to support access to reproductive healthcare; research and advise on organizational policies in order to support access to reproductive healthcare; and participate in litigation and other efforts to protect and improve access to reproductive healthcare.
Abortion is legal in Delaware and abortion rights have been codified under Delaware law since 2017. Recently, Delaware’s General Assembly passed additional legislation expanding abortion access for Delawareans and visitors to our state, including laws protecting providers of abortions and out of state residents seeking or receiving pregnancy termination in Delaware by limiting extradition; protecting medical records; shielding patients from civil actions in other states; and expanding the State’s capacity to provide access to abortion and abortion medication.
More information on the AG’s Abortion Legal Helpline, Delawareans’ reproductive rights, and abortion resources is available at de.gov/abortionhelpline. Delawareans seeking financial support for reproductive care may contact the First State Abortion Fund at (302) 491-9429 or visit www.firststateabortionfund.org. Information on obtaining abortion medication is available at www.plancpills.org. A national list of abortion providers is available at www.abortionfinder.org or www.ineedana.org.