Abhortion · State legal snapshot
Legal to 24 weeks; regulated. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania until 24 weeks from last menstrual period, with a 24-hour waiting period, state-scripted informed consent,…
§ I · Gestational limit
│ Legal until 24 weeks gestational age · measured from LMP · 18 Pa.C.S. § 3204
§ II · Restriction inventory — 15 checked, 9 in force
◐24-week ban · LMPIn force
◐2 in-person visitsIn force
◐Method ban · D&XIn force
◐Physician-only lawIn force
◐One-parent consentIn force
●Telehealth prescribing banNone
◐24-hour waiting periodIn force
◐Spousal consent or noticeOn the books
●Abortion trafficking lawNone
◐Scripted counselingIn force
●Civil bounty (SB8-style)None
✓Private insurance restrictionIn force
●Ultrasound requirementNone
●Pill-mailing banNone
●Self-managed abortion crimeNone
§ III · Access
Criminal exposure
Procedure
Coverage & interstate
Available now
Yes
Pregnant person
Expressly exempt
Waiting period
24 hours
Medicaid
Hyde only
Medication · telehealth
Legal · telehealth allowed
Self-managed
Not a crime
Compelled visits
2 in person
Private insurance
Restricted
Who may perform
Physicians only
Provider max penalty
Felony third degree, up to 7 years…
Minors
One-parent consent
Shield state
Yes
Mailing pills
Not banned
Fetal homicide law
Yes · abortion carved out
Judicial bypass
Available
Major pending change
Yes · see p. 2
✓ Abolition-aligned — forbids abortion or imposes liability◐ Partial — a hurdle, an enjoined law, or a carve-out● No restriction○ Unclear or not applicable
§ IV · Where the line is drawn — governing authorities
Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act, 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 3201-3220 — The comprehensive statutory framework governing all aspects of abortion in…
1992 ●Planned Parenthood v. Casey, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v.… — The Supreme Court decision that upheld most of Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Act,…
2024 ●Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. PA DHS (Pa. Supreme Court 2024), Allegheny Reprod. Health Ctr. v. Pa. Dep't… — Held that sex-based classifications including abortion restrictions are presumptively…
“It is the intention of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to protect hereby the life and health of the woman subject to abortion and to protect the life and health of the child subject to abortion.”— 18 Pa.C.S. § 3202(a)
Fetal personhood — how the contradiction is walled off
✓ 18 Pa.C.S. § 3203
“An individual organism of the species homo sapiens from fertilization until live birth.”
Unborn child defined from fertilization
→
● Exempt · pregnant woman
Mother expressly exempt from criminal penalty
● Carved out · abortion
Abortion is not chargeable under the homicide statutes.
✓ Reached · third parties
Fetal homicide from fertilization; mother exempt
Pennsylvania law contains a deep internal contradiction on fetal personhood. Wrongful death: Wrongful death for viable fetus only.
§ V · Criminal exposure by actor
●
Pregnant woman
Mother expressly exempt from criminal…
✓
Physician
Felony third degree; license…
✓
Non-physician prescriber
Non-physician prescribers barred;…
○
Helpers · funds
Helpers not directly targeted by statute
●
Travel helpers
No travel-assistance prohibition
●
Civil bounty
No civil-bounty enforcement
✓ the actor faces criminal or civil exposure under state law · ● no exposure · ○ unclear or theoretical
Penalties on the books — top 5
§ VI · How the law got here ● court ■ statute ◆ executive / agency
Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade.
12 Jul 2022◆Governor Tom Wolf issued Executive Order 2022-01, shielding abortion providers and out-of-state patients from…
29 Jan 2024●Pennsylvania Supreme Court in Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v.
20 Apr 2026●Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, in a 4-3 ruling on remand, held that the Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees a…
20 May 2026●Attorney General Dave Sunday appealed the Commonwealth Court's April 20 ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
§ VII · Exceptions matrix
Named in law: ◐ the exception is written into the ban · ✓ no such exception · ● no ban for an exception to operate against. Verified (neutral): ✓ quoted text confirmed at source · ◐ semi-verified · ○ verify before publication · — not applicable.
§ VIII · Shield law & interstate
● Shield state
Shield by executive order; no statutory shield
● Travel unrestricted
Out-of-state travel for abortion not restricted
● Telehealth prescribing allowed
Telehealth prescribing permitted
● Pill mailing not banned
Mailing pills not prohibited by state law
○ Funding help unclear
No criminal penalty for funding; insurance restrictions…
○ Providing information
Information-sharing not criminalized
Interstate posturePennsylvania protects providers and patients from out-of-state investigations by executive order; no statutory shield law has been enacted.
§ IX · Who pays
Hyde-only; exclusion ruled unconstitutional on…
Life
Hyde · federal
Rape
Hyde · federal
Incest
Hyde · federal
Beyond Hyde
Not covered
Private insurance may cover; exchange plans restricted
Exchange plans restricted; rider option
✓Defunded; restrictions on public facilities
§ X · Pending changes status and effect as recorded — no forecast
Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. PA DHS (Medicaid…On appeal to Pennsylvania Supreme Court following Commonwealth Court's April 20, 2026 ruling striking down…
If the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirms, Pennsylvania Medicaid would cover abortion beyond the Hyde categories, making abortion financially accessible to low-income…
LegislationHB 26 — Abortion Restrictions Repeal Act (2025-2026)Introduced; referred to House Health Committee. Would repeal most Abortion Control Act provisions including…
If enacted, would eliminate nearly all Pennsylvania-specific abortion restrictions, effectively making abortion legal throughout pregnancy with minimal state regulation.…
LegislationSB 956 — Anti-Abortion Constitutional Amendment (2021-2022; may…Passed Senate in 2022 but did not pass both chambers in consecutive sessions as required for a constitutional…
Would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to state that it 'does not grant the right to taxpayer-funded abortion or any other right relating to abortion,' potentially…
LitigationFederal Mifepristone Litigation (Louisiana v. FDA)U.S. Supreme Court preserved telehealth access to mifepristone pending further proceedings; case returns to…
Could restrict or eliminate telehealth prescribing and mail-order dispensing of mifepristone nationwide, affecting Pennsylvania patients who rely on telehealth…
§ XI · Key authorities ● case ■ statute ◆ agency
■Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 3201-3220
●Planned Parenthood v. Casey Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, 505 U.S.…
●Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. PA DHS (Pa.… Allegheny Reprod. Health Ctr. v. Pa. Dep't of Human…
●Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. PA DHS… Allegheny Reprod. Health Ctr. v. Pa. Dep't of Human…
■Crimes Against Unborn Child Act 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 2601-2608
●Commonwealth v. Bullock Commonwealth v. Bullock, 590 Pa. 391, 913 A.2d 207 (2006)
■Pennsylvania Equal Rights Amendment Pa. Const. art. I, § 28
◆Executive Order 2022-01 Executive Order 2022-01 – Reproductive Health Care (July…
■Exchange Plan Abortion Coverage Restriction 40 Pa.C.S. § 3302 (Act 13 of 2013)
●Coveleski v. Bubnis Coveleski v. Bubnis, 535 Pa. 166, 634 A.2d 608 (1993)
◆Abortion Facility Regulations 28 Pa. Code §§ 29.33-29.38; 35 P.S. § 448.806
■Criminal and Civil Penalty Provisions 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 3217, 3218