Uber and Lyft extend legal fee coverage to drivers sued under Oklahoma’s forthcoming abortion law

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

According to a report from CNBC, both companies will cover legal fees if their drivers are sued under Oklahoma's restrictive abortion bill. Republican Governor Kevin Stitt is expected to approve the bill within the next few days.

On Friday, Oklahoma's House passed the Heartbeat Act, a law that prohibits abortions at around six weeks of pregnancy, much earlier than many women become aware that they are pregnant. Oklahoma's anti-abortion law gives people the right to file lawsuits against people who aided or abetted an abortion.

After Texas passed an anti-abortion law in September, both companies said they would cover legal fees for drivers. Shortly after the bill passed through Oklahoma's legislature, the CEO of the company said that they would cover 100 percent of legal fees for drivers who are sued.

Women's access to healthcare is under attack in Oklahoma, according to Green. It's our duty to support both our rider and driver communities, and we believe transportation shouldn't be a barrier to accessing healthcare.

Green said the company is working with health provider partners to create a safe state program that will cover the cost of travel for riders seeking out-of-state abortion care. Travelers who need to travel over 100 miles to an abortion clinic will be covered by the company.

Although it hasn't been announced on public channels yet, the company confirmed to CNBC that it plans on implementing a similar policy. It's not clear whether the ride-sharing company will cover travel expenses for drivers or passengers who travel for an abortion. The company didn't immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment.

If employees or their spouses need to travel out of state for an abortion procedure, Yelp will cover the travel expenses. The Texas-based Bumble and Match Group created a relief fund for women in Texas who were affected by the anti-abortion law, and also offered to help employees relocate if they were concerned about abortion access in their state.