Why It Matters
Kansas became the latest state to expand legal protections for crisis pregnancy centers after the Republican-controlled Legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of House Bill 2635 on March 27, 2026. The override has immediate implications for reproductive health policy in Kansas, shielding these centers from regulations governing the information and services they provide to pregnant women.
The legislation also creates a new legal pathway allowing crisis pregnancy centers to sue individuals or government entities that violate the law’s provisions — and permits state legislators to intervene directly in any resulting lawsuits.
What Happened
Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed House Bill 2635 on Friday, March 27, 2026, describing the bill as government interference in private medical decisions. Hours later, both chambers of the Kansas Legislature voted to override her veto, making the bill law.
The legislation, formally titled the Pregnancy Center Autonomy and Rights of Expression Act, or CARE Act, exempts crisis pregnancy centers from regulations that govern what information, services, and resources these centers can provide on pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Crisis pregnancy centers, also known as pregnancy resource centers, typically do not offer abortion services.
In her veto statement, Kelly said Kansans have consistently opposed government interference in personal medical decisions. “That means we shouldn’t be spending tax dollars trying to interfere with that very personal, very private, medical decision,” Kelly said. “That’s why I’m vetoing this bill.”
Kansans for Life, the organization that originally proposed the legislation, responded to the veto on social media, calling Kelly’s action “sad, but not surprising” before the override votes were cast.
By the Numbers
- 87–35: The Kansas House vote to override Gov. Kelly’s veto
- 30–9: The Kansas Senate vote to override the veto, reflecting strong Republican majorities in both chambers
- $7 million: Total state funding directed to crisis pregnancy centers in Kansas through budget provisions and separate legislation since 2022
- 1 day: The time between the governor’s veto and the Legislature’s successful override on March 27, 2026
Zoom Out
Kansas has been a focal point for reproductive rights debates since voters rejected a 2022 constitutional amendment that would have removed abortion protections from the state constitution. That referendum, which failed by a margin of roughly 59 to 41 percent, signaled broad public support for abortion access in the state.
Despite that outcome, the Republican-controlled Legislature has continued to advance abortion-related restrictions and pro-pregnancy-center measures. Kansas has directed $7 million to crisis pregnancy centers since 2022, part of a broader national trend of Republican-led states channeling public funds to these organizations as an alternative to abortion providers.
Nationally, crisis pregnancy centers have drawn scrutiny from medical organizations. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated that such centers frequently dispense inaccurate information about abortion pill reversal treatment, undercut regulatory oversight, and disproportionately target low-income populations. Several Democratic-led states have moved in the opposite direction, enacting laws requiring greater transparency from pregnancy centers about the services they do and do not provide.
The CARE Act’s provision allowing state legislators to intervene in lawsuits filed under the law is an unusual legal mechanism that critics say could politicize court proceedings involving reproductive health disputes.
What’s Next
With the veto override complete, House Bill 2635 becomes Kansas law. Crisis pregnancy centers in Kansas will now operate with exemptions from regulations governing the information and services they provide, and will have enhanced legal standing to file lawsuits against entities that violate the CARE Act’s provisions.
Rep. Heather Meyer, D-Overland Park, and other Democratic legislators who opposed the bill are expected to continue pushing back through the legislative process. Meyer argued during Friday’s floor debate that taxpayer dollars are effectively involved whenever legislators dedicate floor time and state resources to legislation that a majority of Kansans have already rejected through the 2022 referendum.
Legal challenges to the CARE Act remain a possibility, particularly given the law’s provision allowing legislators to intervene in court cases — a feature that could face constitutional scrutiny regarding separation of powers. No legal action had been announced as of Friday evening.