As various state regulations have limited access to abortion, Tesla has joined the ranks of Citigroup and Yelp in covering transportation costs for employees to get out-of-state abortions.
In its 2021 impact report that was released on Friday, Tesla said that since last year, it had begun offering "travel and lodging support for those who may need to seek healthcare services that are unavailable in their home state."
Tesla's policy is significant because it's based in Texas, a state that has some of the country's most restrictive abortion laws. In fact, last year Texas banned abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.
According to the New York Times, some lawmakers in Congress including Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican of Florida, are already threatening actions against companies that offer such benefits.
Elon Musk Believes the Government Should Rarely Impose its Will
Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk tweeted in September that he believes the "government should rarely impose its will upon the people, and, when doing so, should aspire to maximize their cumulative happiness." He added that he would prefer to stay out of politics.
According to the New York Times, Texas State Representative Briscoe Cain, a Republican, has expressed that he would propose legislation barring local governments in the state from doing business with any company that provides travel benefits for employees seeking abortions.
In the national limelight, a bill that would prohibit companies from claiming tax deductions for such costs was introduced by Senator Rubio on Wednesday.
As many corporate tech jobs have flexible locations, big tech companies are uniquely able to help relocate employees who wish to leave restrictive states, as per Protocol's report.
Big tech companies also have the money and resources to cover abortion-related travel, however, there are legal risks that they might face as any such company could be sued due to the "aiding and abetting" clause in Texas' abortion law.
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Other Companies Also Offer Transportation Costs for Employees
There are other companies with employees in Texas, who have offered to pay for transportation costs or help in other ways. There are also others who have expressed their opinion about their belief in access to abortion care.
For instance, Citigroup disclosed in March that it was covering travel for employees seeking abortions outside their home state, as per the New York Times report. There are around 8,500 employees who work for Citigroup in Texas.
Yelp, on the other hand, has just over 200 employees in Texas. In April, Yelp announced that it would cover expenses for workers who needed to travel out of state for abortions.
In addition to Tesla, Citigroup, and Yelp, Amazon most recently announced it would pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses for procedures including abortions.
According to Protocol, hours after Amazon's announcement, POLITICO leaked a Supreme Court draft opinion suggesting that the court will likely overturn Roe v. Wade by June.
The Roe v. Wade reversal could prompt outright abortion bans in 26 states, with tech companies calling many of those states home.
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