Wyoming Clinic Halts Abortion Services Amid New Licensing Requirements

Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic has stopped providing abortions following the enactment of a new state law requiring such facilities to be licensed as surgical centers, 2KUTV reports.

The Wellspring Health Access clinic in Casper announced Friday that while it will no longer perform surgical or medication abortions for now, it will remain open to take patient calls and continue other services as it challenges the law in court.

“We want to ensure that we are navigating this process appropriately,” said Wellspring Health Access President Julie Burkhart.

She emphasized that the clinic is not abandoning its patients.

Wellspring filed a lawsuit Friday in Natrona County District Court to challenge the law, which went into effect immediately after Governor Mark Gordon signed it late Thursday. The governor’s office declined to comment on the legislation, citing an ongoing legal case.

The measure is part of a broader national trend of “targeted regulation of abortion provider” (TRAP) laws, which impose additional requirements on abortion clinics. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 24 states, including 16 that do not have total abortion bans, have enacted similar laws requiring clinics to meet outpatient surgical center standards.

Wyoming’s abortion laws have been the subject of ongoing legal battles. The state’s previous abortion bans, passed in 2022 and 2023, were blocked by a Teton County District Judge, who ruled they violated the state constitution’s protections on health care decisions. The Wyoming Supreme Court is currently reviewing an appeal of that decision.

The new licensing requirement mandates that abortion clinics be classified as outpatient surgical centers, and that surgical abortions may only be performed by licensed physicians with admitting privileges at a hospital within 10 miles.

Despite being located just three blocks from a major hospital, Wellspring officials argue that the law would force costly renovations, making it difficult for the clinic to comply.

The clinic opened in 2023 after nearly a year of rebuilding following an arson attack. Since then, multiple legislative efforts have aimed to further restrict abortion access in Wyoming, including six bills introduced this year alone.

Supporters of the law, like Republican Representative Martha Lawley, argue that it establishes “basic common-sense regulations” to ensure patient safety. However, Wellspring’s executive director, Katie Knutter, contends that the American Medical Association opposes such regulations, noting that abortion is among the safest medical procedures.

“We feel that this is specifically targeted to put us out of business and restrict health care services,” Knutter told lawmakers.

She called the new requirements punitive and detrimental to abortion access in Wyoming.

In addition to the new licensing law, another bill requiring women seeking medication abortions to undergo an ultrasound has passed the Wyoming Legislature and now awaits Governor Gordon’s signature.