The Baltimore City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday that affirms the city’s commitment to safe, accessible abortion care.

During an afternoon press conference introducing the resolution, first district Councilmember Zeke Cohen said a key part of the resolution is backing grassroots reproductive care organizations–like the Baltimore Abortion Fund and Baltimore Doula Project, whose representatives joined him onstage– through city funds and donations.

“We will help them expand their capacity to provide access to abortion and other services. Baltimore will not back down in our commitment to reproductive rights. We will help people from across the United States come here and get the services that they need,” Cohen said.

District 10 Councilmember Phylicia Porter said this is an opportunity for the city, which has a population of more than 50% women, to become an example of health care equality.

“This is an opportunity for Baltimore City and those advocating in this space for health care for all and to be a thought leader and catalyst through local policy, no matter race, sexual orientation, or immigration status,” Porter said.

The resolution also calls on Gov. Larry Hogan to immediately release $3.5 million set aside for training new abortion care providers, a program created by the Abortion Care Access Act, passed by the General Assembly in the session that ended in April.

Porter said Baltimore City needs those funds.

“...that's a real issue that we are seeing here, we are still challenged with health care access, health care navigation, and health care delivery.

Cohen and Porter said Mayor Brandon Scott has voiced his support for the move.