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Companies could face hurdles covering abortion travel costs

Mahayana Landowne
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After the U.S. Supreme Court revoked the federal right to abortion that’s been in place for half a century, companies like Amazon, Disney, Apple and JP Morgan pledged to cover travel costs for employees who live in states where abortion is now illegal so they can terminate pregnancies.

But they gave no details on how they will do this and it’s not clear if they will be able to — legally — while protecting employees’ privacy and keeping them safe from prosecution.

“It’s challenging for employers to navigate what is a rapidly evolving legal landscape,” Sharon Masling, the head of Morgan Lewis’s reproductive rights task force, told the Associated Press. “There’s going to be a lot of litigation over the next few years.”

While it’s unclear to what, if any, extent states will go to punish women leaving their state for an abortion, President Joe Biden said the government will work to ensure women aren't prosecuted for leaving states where abortions aren't legal.

Some governors have said they would not cooperate with states investigating women seeking an abortion where it is legal.