Tesla pays journey prices for employees looking for abortion providers

Tesla is protecting journey costs for workers searching for out-of-state abortions, becoming a member of the ranks of main firms who’ve launched an identical coverage to profit workers affected by new restrictions previously few months.

The corporate said in its 2021 “ Impact Report ” launched Friday that it expanded its Safety Net program and health insurance offerings final 12 months to incorporate “journey and lodging help for those who may need to hunt healthcare companies which can be unavailable of their dwelling state.”

The automotive maker officially moved its company headquarters last year from Silicon Valley to Texas, which passed a regulation banning abortions at roughly six weeks of pregnancy.

Other 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 aim at companies offering to assist women in search of abortions in states with less restrictive laws.

Texas State Consultant Briscoe Cain, a Republican, has said he would suggest legislation barring local governments in the state from doing business with any company that provides travel benefits for workers searching for abortions. Nationally, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio introduced a bill on Wednesday that would prohibit firms from claiming tax deductions for such costs.

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