Governor JB Pritzker signs law to provide over-the-counter birth control

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois is now one of the first Midwest states to provide over-the-counter birth control.

Governor JB Pritzker signed the Barriers to Care bill into law Thursday.

Starting January 1, trained pharmacists will use a screening test to give 12-month prescriptions directly to women.

The governor's office said the new law removes barriers to care that may have previously prevented residents from accessing hormonal contraception.

"This legislation that I'm signing into law today makes Illinois one of the first states in the Midwest to provide birth control over the counter, making contraceptives all the more accessible and affordable in our state," said Governor Pritzker. "In 2019, when I signed the Reproductive Health Act into law, I said that in Illinois we guarantee as a fundamental right, a woman's right to choose. Today, we take yet another stand to fulfill that promise."