August 20, 2025 – Denver — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, together with 17 other state attorneys general, has formally requested that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lift what they describe as “unnecessary and burdensome” limitations on mifepristone, an essential medication for both medication abortions and miscarriage management.
The coalition’s request references substantial scientific data and a long history of safety. Since its approval by the FDA in 2000, mifepristone—when used alongside misoprostol—has become the standard treatment for medication abortion and has been safely administered to more than 7.5 million women across the United States.
“We’re calling on the FDA to eliminate outdated and politically driven restrictions that make it harder for people—especially in rural or underserved areas—to access safe and effective reproductive health care,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “Medication abortion is a constitutional right in Colorado, and the federal government should not be creating artificial barriers to care.”
The FDA currently imposes special requirements on mifepristone that include:
- Requiring health providers to register as certified prescribers,
- Mandating pharmacies obtain special certification to dispense the drug,
- Forcing patients to sign a specific form acknowledging they are terminating a pregnancy before receiving a prescription.
The attorneys general contend that these regulations do not pertain to any other similarly safe medication and deter qualified providers from prescribing mifepristone to patients.
The petition arises as the federal government, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., continues its examination of the drug amidst increasing political scrutiny. In May, Kennedy acknowledged that he had initiated a “complete review” of mifepristone following calls to restrict abortion access across the country.
While states such as Colorado have taken steps to protect abortion rights—recently, voters endorsed a constitutional amendment that safeguards reproductive freedom—federal regulations still influence access, especially for at-risk populations.
The attorneys general are urging the FDA to either completely remove the additional restrictions or, at the very least, cease their enforcement in states with strong regulatory frameworks, like Colorado, where patient safety is already under careful observation.
Joining Colorado in this petition are the attorneys general from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia, and the governor of Pennsylvania.
Read the citizen petition filed today with the FDA (PDF).
