Tesla can pay journey prices for employees seeking abortion providers

Tesla is masking journey costs for workers looking for out-of-state abortions, becoming a member of the ranks of main companies who’ve introduced an identical coverage to benefit employees affected by new restrictions prior to now few months.

The corporate said in its 2021 “ Affect Report ” launched Friday that it expanded its Safety Net program and medical health insurance offerings final year to incorporate “travel and lodging support for many who may have to hunt healthcare companies which can be unavailable in their home state.”

The automotive maker formally moved its company headquarters final 12 months from Silicon Valley to Texas, which handed a regulation banning abortions at roughly six weeks of pregnancy.

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

In the meantime, Republican lawmakers are taking goal at corporations offering to assist ladies seeking abortions in states with less restrictive laws.

Texas State Representative Briscoe Cain, a Republican, has mentioned he would propose legislation barring local governments in the state from doing enterprise with any firm that gives travel advantages for employees seeking abortions. Nationally, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio launched a invoice on Wednesday that will prohibit corporations from claiming tax deductions for such prices.

Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he tweeted in September that he believes “authorities ought to hardly ever impose its will upon the individuals, and, when doing so, ought to aspire to maximise their cumulative happiness. That said, I would favor to stay out of politics.”