What are current federal and state laws regarding abortion coverage and financing?
Federal law bans the use of any federal funds for abortion, except when the pregnancy is a result of rape, incest, or if it is determined to endanger the womans life. In effect since 1977, this rule known as the Hyde Amendment is not a permanent law; rather it has been attached annually to Congressional appropriations bills, and has been approved every year by the Congress. The Hyde Amendment initially affected only funding for abortions under Medicaid, but over the years, its reach broadened to limit federal funds for abortion for federal employees, women in the Indian Health Service, and in the military.
