The Impact of Abortion Shield Laws on Abortion Access in the United States

Abstract

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) ruled that abortion access is no longer constitutionally protected resulting in each state deciding who has access to an abortion. This thesis examines if laws that restrict abortion access are effective because one can travel from a state that bans abortion to a state that allows abortion to obtain an abortion procedure. Specifically, this paper investigates the relationship between the increase in travel cost to an abortion clinic located in state with enhanced legal protections—known as abortion shield laws—and U.S. Census variables. Using Gary Becker’s legal analysis model, an abortion seeker will always travel to a state with shield law protections since the probability of prosecution is 0%. This accounts for an abortion seekers’ willingness to pay the increased cost, but this does not consider an abortion seekers’ ability to pay. This thesis uses geographic information systems (GIS) to study the relationship between an increase in travel cost and access to a resource (e.g., ability to pay). This paper concludes laws that restrict abortion access are effective because they create excessive, undue barriers for women who are already economically disenfranchised due to a lack of insurance, education, income, and transportation