Colorado Democrats are pushing a bill that would turn campus health centers into front-line providers of abortion medication, putting higher education squarely in the middle of the state’s ongoing abortion access fight. The measure cleared its first hurdle on a party-line vote Thursday and now heads to the full House for debate. Backers say the plan cuts through transportation and scheduling hurdles that can derail time-sensitive care, while critics blast it as an unfunded mandate that clashes with some institutions’ beliefs.
House Bill 1335 would require any college or university that operates a student health center to either provide medication abortion on site, keep the medication in stock if it has an on-campus pharmacy, or send prescriptions to an off-campus pharmacy, according to the bill summary from the Colorado General Assembly. The bill also carves out an exemption for institutions where providing the medication would “conflict with the institution's bona fide religious beliefs,” as spelled out in the text. An initial analysis from the Legislative Council concludes the measure does not require a state appropriation and projects no state fiscal impact, noting that campuses would likely cover training, technology, and dispensing costs through student fees and that a single on-campus prescription can run about $580 to $800.
Amendment 79 And Lawmakers' Rationale
Co-sponsors Rep. Lorena García and Rep. Kenny Nguyen are framing HB 1335 as a follow-through on Amendment 79, the 2024 constitutional amendment that locked abortion protections into Colorado law, according to Ballotpedia. Nguyen has pointed to moves in other states to guarantee access on college campuses, and supporters argue the bill mostly formalizes what students and campus providers already depend on in practice.
Committee Debate And Votes
The House Education Committee voted 8-5 to advance HB 1335, with Democrats in favor and Republicans lined up against it, as reported by the Denver Gazette. Republican members grilled sponsors on the fiscal assumptions and repeated their charge that the bill dumps costs on institutions. Rep. Anthony Hartsook pointed to the price tag California faced after adopting similar requirements for public campuses. Sponsors countered that students, not the state’s general fund, would primarily pay for the medication itself and argued the measure is about preserving students’ constitutionally guaranteed access.
Students Say Campus Care Matters
Students who spoke to the Denver Gazette described campus health centers as essential for those squeezed by class schedules, work shifts, and long commutes. One senior said that having on-campus access last fall would have “significantly reduced the logistical, financial, and emotional burden” she carried. Others called campus clinics lifelines for student parents, commuters, and classmates juggling multiple jobs, arguing that on-site services would cut down on delays, missed classes, and the scramble to find transportation off campus.
What's Next
With the committee vote in the books, HB 1335 now heads to the Committee of the Whole before a full House floor debate, where sponsors say additional amendments are possible as legislators work through training requirements, privacy issues, and referral logistics. If the House signs off, the bill moves across the building to the Senate, and if it clears that chamber, it will land on the governor’s desk for a final decision.
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