Virginia House Approves Measure Requiring Fetal Anesthesia To Be Offered for Abortion Procedures Beyond 20 Weeks

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 07 Feb 2005 - 16:00 PDT

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The Virginia House of Delegates on Friday approved 72-20 a bill… (HB 1524) that would require physicians to anesthetize fetuses at 20 weeks gestation or beyond before performing abortion procedures, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/5). The measure, which was sponsored by state Del. Richard Black (R), includes exceptions for when a pregnant woman refuses anesthesia for her fetus or if fetal anesthesia could endanger the health of the pregnant woman. Black said that the cut off of 20 weeks gestation was selected because it is a time when medical information indicates that fetuses might be able to feel pain. Black last year proposed legislation that would have required anesthesia of all fetuses aborted at three months gestation or beyond, but the measure failed in a Senate committee after passing in the state House (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/2).

Senate Committee Rejects Bill Requiring Stricter Regulation of Abortion Clinics
The Virginia Senate Education and Health Committee on Thursday rejected 9-6 a bill (SB 839) that would have mandated stricter regulation of abortion clinics, the Washington Post reports (Helderman, Washington Post, 2/4). The House on Tuesday approved similar legislation (HB 2784) that would have increased health standards in order to make the clinics comply with hospital standards. Currently, abortion clinics are regulated like doctors' offices, which do not undergo routine state inspection. Under the House measure, clinics performing 25 or more first-trimester abortions annually would have to be licensed and meet the same standards as ambulatory surgery centers. The licensure also would have required specific staffing arrangements and wide doorways to allow the passage of gurneys, among other requirements (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 2/2). About 200 abortion-rights advocates opposed to the bill attended the committee meeting on Thursday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (Smith, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/4).

Senate Committee Approves Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill
The state Senate Education and Health Committee on Thursday approved 10-5 a bill (SB 1194) that would create a fund for embryonic stem cell research in the state, the Post reports. The measure, sponsored by state Sen. Russell Potts (R), would call for $1 million in state funds and allow the state to administer private funds to Virginia's academic institutions for the research. A number of bill opponents testified against the measure, saying embryonic stem cell research is unethical because "it exchanges one life for the promise of another," according to the Post. The state Senate Finance Committee is expected to consider the bill and decide whether state money should be appropriated for the fund, the Post reports (Washington Post, 2/4).

House Committee Approves One, Rejects Two Abortion-Related Bills
The Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee on Friday approved a bill (HR 1810) 18-0 that would prohibit the sale of tissue from aborted fetuses. The bill, which was sponsored by state Del. Robert Marshall (R), was amended so that it "mirrors" federal law, which allows fetal tissue to be donated for research purposes, according to the Times-Dispatch. The committee rejected 19-1 two bills sponsored by Marshall that would have classified abortions as "consumers transactions," which would subject the procedures to state consumer-protection laws, the Times-Dispatch reports (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/5). The first bill (HB 2350) would have required abortion clinics to meet state consumer-protection requirements, including facility cleanliness, sterilization, fire protection, evacuation, staff credentials, equipment and maintenance of facilities and equipment (Bill summary, 1/11). The second bill (HB 2352) would have required doctors who perform abortion-related procedures to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and screen women for possible physical and psychological "complications" before performing a procedure, according to the Times-Dispatch. The committee on Friday approved a bill (HR 1812) sponsored by Marshall that would prohibit the execution of a pregnant woman (Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/5).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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