In Spring of 2022, with the threat of the Dobbs decision looming, it was imperative to do everything we could to build protections for reproductive healthcare that would not be lost to trigger bans. If Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion would be banned across Louisiana. That’s why Lift’s co-founder Michelle Erenberg approached Morgan Lamandre, CEO of Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR), with a mission; introduce a bill that would cement the right to emergency contraception for survivors of rape. Together, they drafted a bill that would provide survivors the ability to prevent unwanted pregnancy by requiring all Louisiana hospitals to carry emergency contraceptives. Hospitals would be required to inform survivors about the options they had, educate them about EC, and provide it if desired.

Emergency contraception (or EC) is a form of FDA-approved contraception that can be ingested after intercourse in order to prevent pregnancy, primarily through delaying ovulation. These forms of contraception can be used in the days following intercourse, and are often a last attempt at preventing pregnancy, especially in states where abortion is now illegal. Emergency contraception pills can be life-changing for survivors of sexual assault, as 5.9 million U.S. women have become pregnant as a result of rape or sexual coercion in their lifetimes, according to a 2023 study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

Michelle and Morgan knew they would face pushback from misinformed legislators who thought of emergency contraception as abortion. To combat this, they conducted the majority of work on the bill before the legislative session and made necessary amendments before it reached our legislators. This strategy worked to ensure that an uphill battle was not being fought while the bill progressed through the legislature. This pre-legislative work included meeting with hospitals who would be impacted by the mandate, especially Catholic establishments. In order to gain their support for the bill, amendments were made to narrow it from all FDA approved EC to just Plan B. Additionally, there was a compromise made for survivors to show proof of a negative pregnancy test before gaining access to emergency contraception, which also appeased those with the belief that life begins at conception. The goal was to apply the law to all hospitals regardless of their religious affiliation and to not allow any hospital to opt out of the law or restrict access. 

Legislators on both sides of the aisle understood the importance of supporting survivors of sexual assault and were willing to work with STAR, so they worked with Representative Jason Hughes to introduce and advance the bill. STAR and Morgan had worked with him on previous legislation, and knew he would not back down or compromise the integrity of it just to get it passed. Hughes, a Democratic representative, had also built respect with Republican legislators, and having support from the majority party was imperative. Having a male bill author also helped frame the issue in a way that made it clear this was not merely a “women’s issue”. 

While the bill was considered in the legislature, Lift was doing key work organizing and mobilizing advocates. We encouraged community members to contact their representatives and show up at the capitol, showing legislators that this was an issue people cared about. As a result of the strategic pre-legislative work, the help of Representative Hughes, and the community mobilization, the EC in the ER bill passed unanimously in both the Louisiana House and Senate and was signed into law, becoming Act 513. This new law ensures survivor-centered care would occur at all hospitals by mandating education on emergency contraception and informing patients about their options. In rural areas where it is harder to access birth control and emergency contraception, this bill created a new lifeline for sexual assault survivors.

Later, Act 513 would be included in the Louisiana Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights, created in 2024, which informs survivors of the autonomy and choices they have, and helps them receive the justice they deserve. To this day, Act 513 and its mission that STAR and Lift realized are still in effect, and continue to protect the right to emergency contraception for survivors across Louisiana. 

This work was made possible in part by funding from the Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights, the Tides Stronger Together Fund, and the Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity, a donor-advised fund of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.