Tesla can pay travel prices for employees searching for abortion companies

Tesla is covering travel costs for employees searching for out-of-state abortions, becoming a member of the ranks of major companies who’ve launched an analogous policy to learn workers affected by new restrictions in the past few months.

The corporate said in its 2021 “ Influence Report ” launched Friday that it expanded its Safety Net program and medical health insurance choices final year to incorporate “travel and lodging help for individuals who may have to hunt healthcare services which might be unavailable in their house state.”

The automobile maker formally moved its corporate headquarters final yr from Silicon Valley to Texas, which passed a law banning abortions at roughly six weeks of pregnancy.

Different states have since introduced new restrictions, and a political firestorm was set off this week with the leaked draft of a Supreme Court docket opinion that will abolish a nationwide proper to an abortion.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are taking goal at firms providing to help girls seeking abortions in states with much less restrictive legal guidelines.

Texas State Consultant Briscoe Cain, a Republican, has said he would suggest legislation barring native governments within the state from doing business with any firm that gives journey benefits for workers seeking abortions. Nationally, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio launched a bill on Wednesday that might prohibit firms from claiming tax deductions for such costs.

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk did not instantly reply to a request for comment, but he tweeted in September that he believes “government should not often impose its will upon the individuals, and, when doing so, ought to aspire to maximise their cumulative happiness. That stated, I would prefer to stay out of politics.”