Actions Taken On Women's Health Legislation, Policy In Ariz., Colo., Mass., Mich., N.M.

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• Arizona: On Wednesday, the House Health Committee approved 5-4 a measure (HB 2769) that would "essentially mirror" the federal ban (S 3) on so-called "partial-birth" abortion, an antiabortion lobbyist who helped draft the measure said, the Arizona Daily Star reports. State lawmakers in 1997 approved a similar measure, but it was later declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in Tucson. The new Arizona measure was introduced after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal ban in April 2007. Rep. David Bradley (D) questioned whether the measure was necessary because the procedure is now illegal under federal law. Ron Johnson, a lobbyist for the Arizona Catholic Conference, said the measure would allow county attorneys to file charges if federal prosecutors do not. Johnson said the bill has been "carefully drafted in order to essentially mirror federal legislation" that has been upheld in the courts. The Arizona bill allows husbands of women who had an abortion banned under the legislation to sue the physician who performed the procedure for physical and psychological damages but protects women from civil or criminal charges. Physicians violating the legislation could face up to 18 months in state prison. The measure now goes to the full House, the Star reports (Fischer, Arizona Daily Star, 2/14).
  
  
• Colorado: The board of Denver Public Schools this week will discuss whether to remove a 22-year-old regulation that prohibits school-based health centers from offering birth control to students, the Denver Post reports. A health task force has proposed making birth control available at health clinics based in six Denver high schools as a way to reduce teen pregnancy. Elaine Gantz Berman, chair of the task force, said, "The feeling was if the school community wants it and parents say yes and we have health professionals who have the expertise, then we should provide it." However, Denver Health, which runs the school-based clinics, has determined that it cannot provide birth control unless the ban is lifted. John Kechriotis, Denver public schools attorney, said, "There are two major issues. One is the decision on whether you distribute contraceptives in a school clinic. That is a big issue that needs to be resolved. Beyond that decision, there is the whole other issue of the parental consent." If the school board repeals the ban, contraceptives would be available to high school students without parental consent. Colorado Right to Life has voiced its opposition against the proposal, saying it would promote sex. Colorado Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention supports the task force recommendation as a way to prevent teen pregnancy (Meyer, Denver Post, 2/14).
  
  
• Massachusetts: House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi (D) on Thursday proposed legislation that would provide $1 billion over 10 years for the state's life sciences industry, the Boston Globe reports. According to the Globe, DiMasi's proposal "differs in some key respects" from the plan proposed last year by Gov. Deval Patrick (D); however, it also "incorporates the major elements" of Patrick's plan to strengthen the state's reputation as a "hub for scientific research" (Viser, Boston Globe, 2/15). The bill would create a bank of stem-cell lines for use in public and private research. In addition, the plan calls for $500 million in bonds to build and upgrade labs, $250 million in research grants and $250 million in tax credits for life sciences companies, the AP/Metro West Daily reports. Nearly $6 million would be invested in the University of Massachusetts Medical School's stem cell bank and registry, according to the plan (Maguire, AP/Metro West Daily, 2/14). DiMasi said the legislation would reach the House floor by the end of the month. Patrick said, "Our team has been briefed and the speaker has kept his word, which is to keep this moving," adding, "It seems that what is going to be released from the committee is consistent with the framework that we have proposed, which we appreciate very much" (AP/Metro West Daily, 2/14).
  
  
• Michigan: Two bills (HB 5322, HB 5171) related to human papillomavirus education are close to becoming law, the AP/WLNS reports (AP/WLNS, 2/12). HB 5322, which passed the House on Tuesday, would require schools that provide information about vaccinations to include information about HPV vaccines. At a minimum, the information would have to include the risks associated with HPV; the availability, effectiveness and potential risks of immunization for HPV; potential risks of HPV immunization; and sources where parents and guardians may obtain additional information about HPV and vaccination of a child against HPV (HB 5322 text, 2/15). The second bill, HB 5171, would require the Department of Community Health to identify materials related to HPV, HPV vaccines and cervical cancer and make them available to parents and students in certain grade levels (HB 5171 text, 2/15). Michigan Lawmakers have backed off earlier attempts to require all girls entering the sixth grade to receive an HPV vaccine, the AP/WLNS reports (AP/WLNS, 2/12).
  
  
• New Mexico: The Legislature adjourned on Thursday without action on several bills proposed by Gov. Bill Richardson (D), including a measure that would have authorized human embryonic stem cell research, the AP/Las Cruces Sun-News reports (Baker, AP/Las Cruces Sun-News, 2/15). The state Senate last month voted 20-18 to approve legislation (SB 23) that would have authorized stem cell research on human embryos that are left over from fertility treatments and are donated by patients. The research would have been conducted at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, which is conducting research on adult stem cells. The bill also would have prohibited human cloning. Some lawmakers opposed the measure because the research would have involved the use of embryos. Richardson also has asked the Legislature to approve $2 million to UNM to recruit researchers for a new stem cell research program (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/31).