Title
Establishing a Vision for Reproductive Freedom, Family, and the American Promise in Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, as America approaches its 250th anniversary, we stand at a defining crossroads, one that demands we not merely defend what has been, but boldly claim what must be; and
WHEREAS, self-determination and bodily sovereignty are not peripheral issues but cornerstones of democratic governance, inseparable from economic security, racial justice, gender equity, public health, religious autonomy, and the full civic participation of all people; and
WHEREAS, coordinated attacks on reproductive and sexual health, including restrictions on abortion access, contraception, gender-affirming care, and the freedom to form a family on one's own terms, represent not isolated policy disputes, but deliberate efforts to consolidate power, enforce hierarchy, and foreclose democratic participation for women and gender-expansive people; and
WHEREAS, Reproductive Justice, a framework created in 1994 by Black women organizers, holds that every person has the right to have children, the right not to have children, and the right to raise children in safe, healthy, and thriving communities-offering this nation a coherent human rights vision rooted in freedom, dignity, and self-determination; and
WHEREAS, the right to have a child demands access to dignified, person-centered reproductive and maternal healthcare; a robust and equitable care workforce; postpartum and family support; and freedom from coercion, forced sterilization, and the criminalization of pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, the right not to have a child demands the legal protection of abortion access; the elimination of financial, geographic, and administrative barriers to reproductive healthcare; robust protections for patients and providers; and the full decriminalization of pregnancy outcomes; and
WHEREAS, the right to raise a family with dignity demands universal healthcare, paid family leave, affordable childcare, living wages, safe communities, and a federal commitment to democracy, equity, and the conditions in which all families can flourish; and
WHEREAS, the United States Constitution requires every level of government to guarantee, not merely permit, that every person, regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious affiliation, or socioeconomic status, may exercise their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and
WHEREAS, the scale of this moment calls for an Apollo-level commitment, the same national ingenuity and political will that launched us into space must now be turned toward the most fundamental human needs for our collective future: the preservation of our democratic integrity, the protection of our public health, and the full realization of reproductive freedom for all; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia affirms that every person has the right to safe, dignified, and equitable conditions for childbirth and family formation, and commits to policies that advance Equitable Maternal and Reproductive Healthcare; Person-centered maternal healthcare that addresses racial and geographic disparities in outcomes, expands the full continuum of maternal care, and ensures accountability at every level of the healthcare system; a robust, diverse, and community-rooted reproductive healthcare workforce, including midwives, doulas, and community-based providers, with investment in training and integration into mainstream care systems; and comprehensive postpartum support, including mental health services, lactation support, and wrap-around family care; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia affirms that every person has the right to enforceable protections against reproductive coercion, forced sterilization, and the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage and stillbirth; and guarantees of informed consent and patient advocacy across all healthcare settings, including clear disclosure of any institutional limitations on services and timely access to referrals; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia affirms that every person has the right to coverage and access to fertility treatments, assisted reproductive technologies, and the full range of options people need to form families on their own terms; and Ethical and equitable regulatory frameworks governing emerging reproductive technologies, including: in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy, gamete donation, and genetic technologies, with particular attention to preventing eugenic application; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia affirms that reproductive freedom includes the right to plan, space, or end a pregnancy, safely, legally, and without barrier and commits to policies that advance Statutory and constitutional enshrinement of the right to abortion and comprehensive reproductive healthcare at every level of government; and Guaranteed access to medication abortion, contraception, emergency abortion care, and the full range of reproductive health services, free from medically unnecessary restrictions on patients or providers; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia affirms the importance of the removal of all funding restrictions that deny or delay reproductive healthcare to people based on income, insurance status, or geography, including Hyde Amendment-style prohibitions and their state and local equivalents; affirmative investment in telehealth infrastructure, clinic capacity, and logistical supports, including travel and care coordination, to ensure access is real and not merely nominal; and full legal protection for patients, providers, and those who support access to care who are working in good faith, including shield protections, data privacy safeguards, and civil and criminal liability protections across jurisdictions; and Decriminalization of pregnancy outcomes, paired with investment in evidence-based, whole-family health and wellness services; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia affirms the importance of the universal access to comprehensive, medically accurate, age-appropriate reproductive and sexual health education; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia affirms that reproductive justice requires the conditions to raise families safely, sustainably, and with full human dignity, and commits to policies that advance; Bodily Autonomy and Equal Protection; Recognition and statutory, or constitutional, protections of bodily autonomy and self-determination as fundamental rights, enforceable across all levels of government; access to universal robust healthcare system that includes the full suite of reproductive and sexual healthcare, including abortion, contraception, prenatal and postpartum care, and gender-affirming care, for every person, regardless of income, employment or geography; and
WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia commits to policies that advance guaranteed paid family and medical leave, including provisions for pregnancy-related complications and extended recovery; robust income supports, living wages, labor protections, and anti-discrimination guarantees for pregnant people, parents, and caregivers; universal access to affordable, high-quality childcare and early education; access to essential family supports including nutrition, housing, and health services so that every child has the foundation for a safe, healthy, and supported childhood; strong protections for medical data privacy, with particular attention to reproductive health data, prohibiting its misuse for surveillance, prosecution, or discrimination; transparent, accountable, and equity-centered governance frameworks for reproductive technologies as they evolve; and
WHEREAS, this body calls upon all levels of government to align laws, policies, and resources with the vision affirmed herein, and to treat reproductive freedom not as a privilege to be granted or withheld, but as a human right guaranteed to us all, and an indispensable foundation of democracy, dignity, and the American promise; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, establishes a Vision for Reproductive Freedom, Family, and the American Promise in Philadelphia.
End