Actions Taken On Women's Health-Related Legislation, Proposals In Minnesota, Tennessee, Virginia

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Article Date: 05 Feb 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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The following highlights recent news of state actions on women's health.

Abortion

• Tennessee: The Senate on Wednesday voted 23-9 to approve a joint resolution (SJR 127) that would amend the state constitution to say that it does not guarantee the right to abortion or require funding for abortion, the Tennessean reports (Johnson, Tennessean, 1/31). The resolution, sponsored by Sen. Diane Black (R), is in part a response to a 2000 state Supreme Court decision that struck down some state restrictions on abortion, including a 48-hour waiting period, a requirement that women receive detailed information about the procedure and a requirement that all abortions after the first trimester be performed at a hospital (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/15). Black resisted efforts to add exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when a woman's life is in danger. According to the Tennessean, the measure would "pave the way" for lawmakers to ban abortion should the U.S. Supreme Court reverse Roe v. Wade. The measure now goes to the House, where it has failed in 2001, 2004 and 2006 (Tennessean, 1/31). If the bill passes the House by a simple majority in this year's General Assembly, it then must pass each chamber by a two-thirds vote in the next General Assembly. If approved both times, the proposal would then be added to the state ballot in 2010 (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/15).
  
  
• Virginia: The House on Friday approved two antiabortion bills, the Lynchburg News & Advance reports. HB 1556, a measure that would require that women seeking abortions at or after 20 weeks' gestation receive information about fetal pain, was approved by a 68-31 vote (Reed, Lynchburg News & Advance, 2/5). The bill would also require physicians to offer the women drugs to "anesthetize the fetus in a manner consistent with that commonly used with a human undergoing an amputation" (HB 1556 text, 2/4). The House also voted 62-37 to approve a bill (HB 1315) that would require that physicians give women seeking abortions the option to view a sonogram of the fetus before undergoing the procedure (Reed, Lynchburg News & Advance, 2/5). Supporters of HB 1315 said its purpose is to determine the gestational age of the fetus and to protect the health of the woman. Del. Vivian Watts (D) said the bill would be a hardship to women seeking abortions because it would require two doctor visits within a 24-hour period (Reed, Lynchburg News & Advance, 2/1). Del. Robert Marshall (R) failed in an attempt to amend the bills to replace the word "fetus" with "preborn child" or "unborn child," the AP/Daily Press reports. The bills will move to the Senate, where they likely will face opposition, the AP/Hampton Roads Daily Press reports (AP/Hampton Roads Daily Press, 1/31).

HPV Vaccine

• Minnesota: The Minnesota Department of Health will not require that Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil be administered to girls as a condition of school attendance -- at least for now -- the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. The Legislature last year requested that the health department make recommendations after some lawmakers sought to require girls ages 12 and older to receive the vaccine unless their parents or guardians opted out of the requirement. State health officials said that they primarily are concerned that some people are uninformed about Gardasil and that some insurance companies have not decided to cover the vaccine. They also noted that concerns about Merck's ability to keep pace with the sudden demand for Gardasil, as well as the ability of schools to handle the administrative burden. Officials said they would revisit the issue in three years. Edward Ehlinger, a physician who serves on the state advisory committee for immunization practices that made the recommendations, said the initial research suggests Gardasil is safe and protects for at least five years, but more studies are needed to confirm its long-term efficacy (St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2/1). Gardasil in clinical trials has been shown to prevent infection of HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases, and to prevent infection of HPV strains 6 and 11, which cause about 90% of genital warts cases (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/28).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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