The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health issues.
Abortion Regulations
Indiana: The state House on Wednesday approved 70-30 a bill (HB 1172) that would require physicians to tell women seeking abortion that life begins when a human egg is fertilized by human sperm, the AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel reports (Smith, AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 2/2). Current Indiana law states that women seeking abortion must receive in-person counseling at least 18 hours prior to undergoing the procedure, but it does not dictate what physicians tell women. The bill also would require doctors to tell women seeking abortion that fetuses can feel pain, that an anesthetic can be provided for fetuses of more than 20 weeks' gestation and that health insurance might not cover the cost of the procedure. (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/30). The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration (AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 2/2).
Indiana: The state House on Wednesday approved 60-38 a bill (HB 1080) that would require abortion clinics in the state to meet new standards -- including specified widths of hallways and sizes of rooms -- by Jan. 1, 2007, the Indianapolis Star reports (Schneider, Indianapolis Star, 2/1). The Planned Parenthood Association of Indiana said that the bill likely would force all of the state's nine abortion clinics to close, adding that it would fight the measure in court if it becomes law (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/30). State Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R), who sponsored the measure, said the intent of the measure is not to close the clinics but to protect the health of women who use them (Indianapolis Star, 2/1). The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration (AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 2/2).
South Dakota: The state House on Wednesday voted 65-2 to approve a bill (HB 1198) that would require abortion clinics to obtain special licenses and undergo state inspections, the AP/Aberdeen American News reports (Michael, AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/1). The measure would require the state Department of Health to charge a fee before inspecting the facility for compliance with state requirements and issuing a license. The bill approved in the state House Health and Human Services Committee would have capped the licensing fee at $10,000 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/1). According to the AP/American News, the fee has been changed to a "much lower amount" and is now equal to those that outpatient surgery clinics are required to pay (AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/1). The state Senate on Tuesday voted to approve a similar bill (SB 185) that would cap the fee at $2,000 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/2). The House bill now moves to the Senate for consideration (AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/1).
Regulations on Minors
South Dakota: The state House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 8-5 to reject a bill that would have required health care providers who treat a minor for a sexually transmitted disease to notify the minor's parents, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Donna Schafer (R), would have required health care providers to notify parents within 72 hours of treating their child for syphilis, gonorrhea or chancroid. Schafer also proposed requiring parental notification for treatment of chlamydia, as well as adding the disease to the list of STDs recorded and monitored by the state. It is a Class 2 misdemeanor to expose another person to an STD included on the list. According to the Argus Leader, the committee agreed that the continued debate over the bill indicated that it required further modifications before going to the House for consideration (Myers, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2/1).
Stem Cell Research
Michigan: State Rep. Andrew Meisner (D) on Wednesday reiterated his call for the state Legislature to ease restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, the AP/woodtv reports (AP/woodtv, 2/1). Michigan law permits research in the state using adult stem cells. It also allows research on embryonic stem cell lines that have been developed outside the state, but it prohibits the destruction of embryos and embryonic cloning. Meisner has introduced legislation to modify the bans, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) during her State of the State speech last week endorsed Meisner's bill (HB 4900) (Bell, Detroit Free Press, 2/1).
Pennsylvania: Gov. Ed Rendell (D) on Wednesday announced a proposal to spend $1 billion to develop the state's bioscience research industry, prompting debate over public funding for embryonic stem cell research, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Although Rendell said he "enthusiastically" supports embryonic stem cell research, he rejected the idea that the program was designed for such research (Worden, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/2). He added that the legality of embryonic stem cell research is not clear under Pennsylvania abortion control law. Rendell plans to present his proposal to the General Assembly on Feb. 8 (Levy, AP/phillyBurbs, 2/1).
Abortion Regulations
Indiana: The state House on Wednesday approved 70-30 a bill (HB 1172) that would require physicians to tell women seeking abortion that life begins when a human egg is fertilized by human sperm, the AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel reports (Smith, AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 2/2). Current Indiana law states that women seeking abortion must receive in-person counseling at least 18 hours prior to undergoing the procedure, but it does not dictate what physicians tell women. The bill also would require doctors to tell women seeking abortion that fetuses can feel pain, that an anesthetic can be provided for fetuses of more than 20 weeks' gestation and that health insurance might not cover the cost of the procedure. (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/30). The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration (AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 2/2).
Indiana: The state House on Wednesday approved 60-38 a bill (HB 1080) that would require abortion clinics in the state to meet new standards -- including specified widths of hallways and sizes of rooms -- by Jan. 1, 2007, the Indianapolis Star reports (Schneider, Indianapolis Star, 2/1). The Planned Parenthood Association of Indiana said that the bill likely would force all of the state's nine abortion clinics to close, adding that it would fight the measure in court if it becomes law (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/30). State Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R), who sponsored the measure, said the intent of the measure is not to close the clinics but to protect the health of women who use them (Indianapolis Star, 2/1). The bill now goes to the state Senate for consideration (AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 2/2).
South Dakota: The state House on Wednesday voted 65-2 to approve a bill (HB 1198) that would require abortion clinics to obtain special licenses and undergo state inspections, the AP/Aberdeen American News reports (Michael, AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/1). The measure would require the state Department of Health to charge a fee before inspecting the facility for compliance with state requirements and issuing a license. The bill approved in the state House Health and Human Services Committee would have capped the licensing fee at $10,000 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/1). According to the AP/American News, the fee has been changed to a "much lower amount" and is now equal to those that outpatient surgery clinics are required to pay (AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/1). The state Senate on Tuesday voted to approve a similar bill (SB 185) that would cap the fee at $2,000 (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 2/2). The House bill now moves to the Senate for consideration (AP/Aberdeen American News, 2/1).
Regulations on Minors
South Dakota: The state House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 8-5 to reject a bill that would have required health care providers who treat a minor for a sexually transmitted disease to notify the minor's parents, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Donna Schafer (R), would have required health care providers to notify parents within 72 hours of treating their child for syphilis, gonorrhea or chancroid. Schafer also proposed requiring parental notification for treatment of chlamydia, as well as adding the disease to the list of STDs recorded and monitored by the state. It is a Class 2 misdemeanor to expose another person to an STD included on the list. According to the Argus Leader, the committee agreed that the continued debate over the bill indicated that it required further modifications before going to the House for consideration (Myers, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2/1).
Stem Cell Research
Michigan: State Rep. Andrew Meisner (D) on Wednesday reiterated his call for the state Legislature to ease restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, the AP/woodtv reports (AP/woodtv, 2/1). Michigan law permits research in the state using adult stem cells. It also allows research on embryonic stem cell lines that have been developed outside the state, but it prohibits the destruction of embryos and embryonic cloning. Meisner has introduced legislation to modify the bans, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) during her State of the State speech last week endorsed Meisner's bill (HB 4900) (Bell, Detroit Free Press, 2/1).
Pennsylvania: Gov. Ed Rendell (D) on Wednesday announced a proposal to spend $1 billion to develop the state's bioscience research industry, prompting debate over public funding for embryonic stem cell research, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Although Rendell said he "enthusiastically" supports embryonic stem cell research, he rejected the idea that the program was designed for such research (Worden, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/2). He added that the legality of embryonic stem cell research is not clear under Pennsylvania abortion control law. Rendell plans to present his proposal to the General Assembly on Feb. 8 (Levy, AP/phillyBurbs, 2/1).
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