Florida, Georgia, Idaho Legislatures Act On Reproductive Health Bills

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Abortion;  MRI / PET / Ultrasound
Article Date: 21 Mar 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Newspapers recently reported on several reproductive health-related bills under debate in state legislatures. Summaries appear below.

~ Florida: A Florida House committee approved a bill (H.B. 983) on Wednesday that would require a woman seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound unless she signs a waiver, the AP/Miami Herald reports. The bill includes an exemption for survivors of rape, incest and domestic violence if they provide a copy of a police or medical report. Republicans pushed for a similar bill last year, but it died after a "dramatic tie vote in the state Senate," according to the AP/Herald. Supporters of this year's bill say that they are confident it will pass because many of last year's opponents are no longer in office. The committee approved the bill on a party-line vote, with Republican supporters saying they want to provide women additional information when deciding to have an abortion. Democrats said the need for an ultrasound should be determined by a physician. Many clinics in the state already have ultrasound equipment because Florida law requires ultrasounds for women seeking second- or third-trimester abortions, although about 30 do not have ultrasound equipment, the AP/Herald reports (AP/Miami Herald, 3/18).

~ Georgia: The Georgia House passed a resolution (H.R. 334) on Wednesday urging Congress to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act by a vote of 92-55, the Florida Times-Union reports. The Georgia resolution claims that FOCA -- which has not been introduced in the current congressional session -- would overturn more than 550 federal and state laws on abortion. State Rep. Jerry Keen (R), who sponsored the resolution, said other states have proposed similar measures, including Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. State Rep. Bobby Franklin (R) was the only representative who spoke against the bill, saying it would embarrass Georgia to ask Congress to oppose an issue that he believes states should have the authority to decide (Florida Times-Union, 3/19).

~ Idaho: House committee approved a bill (H.B. 216) to give pharmacists the ability to refuse to dispense birth control and other medications, the AP/Forbes.com reports. The exemptions apply to pharmacists who have "moral, ethical or religious objections" to dispensing certain medications. Idaho law already allows hospitals and doctors authority to refuse to fill prescriptions. The bill now moves to the full House, "where it stands a good chance" to pass, according to the AP/Forbes.com. Idaho Pharmacy Board Director Mark Johnston reported to the committee that pharmacists already can deny providing medications because no state law requires that they fill a prescription. He said the pharmacy board remains neutral on the bill because it views the measure as a debate between abortion-rights supporters and opponents. State Rep. Erik Simpson (R), who supports the bill, said it would protect pharmacists from losing their jobs if they refuse to fill a prescription. Opponents of the bill argue that it places pharmacists' rights above patients' rights and that it could make it difficult for people in rural towns to access time-sensitive drugs, including emergency contraception (Wire, AP/Forbes.com, 3/18). The committee also passed a bill (H.B. 214) on Tuesday that would allow women who have a miscarriage or an abortion before 20 weeks' gestation to request a death certificate from the state's Bureau of Health Policy and Vital Statistics, the Idaho Statesman reports. State Rep. Judy Boyle (R), who introduced the bill, said that it is intended to provide a personal record for women and that the certificates would not represent vital records (Idaho Statesman, 3/17). Rebecca Poedy, vice president of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, said that the "real intent is to further undermine" Roe v. Wade, adding that if the bill is "legally challengeable, Planned Parenthood will be doing that" (Idaho Statesman, 3/18).

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