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A resolution requesting that the Metropolitan Employee Benefit Board assess the current availability of benefits providing transportation, accommodation, and related costs when necessary to obtain medical treatment unavailable in Tennessee; and to extend such coverage if not currently provided.
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WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Employee Benefit Board administers, manages, and coordinates the metropolitan employee benefit system adopted by the Metropolitan Council in accordance with Chapter 3.08 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws and Article 13 of the Metropolitan Charter; and
WHEREAS, the system of employee benefits adopted by the Council of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County includes medical care benefits for employees and pensioners; and
WHEREAS, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States announced its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, No. 19-1392, 597 U.S. ___, a landmark decision in which the court held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer any right to
abortion, overruling nearly 50 years of legal precedent established under Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey; and
WHEREAS, shortly after this decision, the Office of Mayor John Cooper contacted the Metropolitan Human Resources Department to request an assessment of the current availability of benefits providing transportation, accommodation, and related costs when necessary to obtain medical treatment that is otherwise unavailable in Tennessee, and to initiate the process for extending such coverage, if necessary, through the Employee Benefit Board; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council supports the right to
abortion access previously established under Roe v. Wade and finds that restrictions upon reproductive rights and private healthcare decisions threaten the safety and wellbeing of the residents of Nashville and Davidson County, particularly for patients unable to travel to neighboring jurisdictions where ab...
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