legislation – Page 2 – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

17 Feb

Here’s how state lawmakers are taking aim at transgender adults’ health care

RandyLatest NewsGOP, Healthcare, legislation, Trans Rights, United States

While much state policy and attention have focused on restricting gender-affirming care for minors, more states now are seeking to limit such care for adults. Lawmakers in several states have introduced bills that would prohibit Medicaid coverage of gender-transition services, prevent state or county health professionals from providing it, or bar the use of public money to pay for such care for adults who are incarcerated.

04 Feb

Doctors who provide abortion, transgender care could get legal protections under Virginia bill

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Care, Abortion travel, Bill, Doctors, gender affirming care, gender affirming care travel, Health care, legislation, Out of State, out of state patients, protections, Reproductive care, state sovereignty, Trans Rights, transgender health care, United States, Virginia

“Virginia moved closer Monday to shielding doctors from extradition if they provide reproductive or gender-affirming healthcare to out-of-state patients, advancing legislation that underscores the deepening divide over healthcare access and state sovereignty. The Senate narrowly passed Senate Bill 1098, sponsored by Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, which would block the extradition of health care providers facing criminal charges in other states for performing medical services that are legal in Virginia. Every Republican opposed the measure….”

04 Feb

N.Y. moves to shield abortion medication prescriptions after Louisiana indicts doctor

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Pills, Bill, extradition, legislation, Louisiana, mifepristone, New York, United States

“New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signed a bill to shield the identities of doctors who prescribe abortion medications, days after a physician in the state was charged with prescribing abortion pills to a pregnant minor in Louisiana. The new law, which took effect immediately, allows doctors to request for their names to be left off abortion pill bottles and instead list the name of their health-care practices on medication labels….”

02 Feb

NH abortion ban: Bill to prohibit procedure after 15 weeks, introduced then withdrawn

MollyLatest News, United States15 weeks, Abortion Ban, anti-abortion organizations, Bill, legislation, New Hampshire, United States, withdrawn bill

"New Hampshire legislators introduced — and then immediately withdrew — a bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks in the Granite State Monday. The first public hearing on the bill, HB 476, was held on Monday morning in front of the House Judiciary committee. However, prime sponsor Rep. Katy Peternel, R-Wolfeboro, said she had decided to withdraw the bill. “After careful review, it has become clear that there is a flaw in the bill that prevents us from moving forward in a logical, reasonable, or obvious way,” said Peternel in a statement. “Without consensus among the pro-life organizations across New Hampshire, this bill does…

02 Feb

Texas’ abortion ban, among the strictest in the U.S., could get even stricter

RandyLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, legislation, Reproductive rights, Texas, United States

Texas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, and during this legislative session, anti-abortion advocates are hoping to foreclose on the few remaining avenues left to end a pregnancy.

14 Jan

Voters Backed Abortion Rights But State Judges Have Final Say

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, legislation, United States

In November, Montana voters safeguarded the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. They also elected a new chief justice to the Montana Supreme Court who was endorsed by anti-abortion advocates. That seeming contradiction is slated to come to a head this year. People on polar sides of the abortion debate are preparing to fight over how far the protection for abortion extends, and the final say will likely come from the seven-person state Supreme Court. With the arrival of new Chief Justice Cory Swanson, who ran as a judicial conservative for the nonpartisan seat and was sworn in Jan. 6,…

09 Jan

Proposal would outlaw use of abortion pills and tighten rape exception

MollyLatest News, United Statesabortion medication, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Bill 171, Bill proposal, Healthcare, Indiana, legislation, medicine, Rape exception, United States

"A new bill would further clamp down on abortions in Indiana by banning procedures using pills and requiring women to file an affidavit of rape to meet one of the state’s few exceptions. Its future is uncertain since it was filed by a Senate Republican — Indianapolis Sen. Mike Young — who has clashed with caucus leadership over Indiana’s abortion ban. The ICC reached out for comment but received no response. “This is a government intrusion into medicine and healthcare with no other purpose but to put extreme ideology into law and take medical options away from patients,” said Indianapolis OB-GYN…

08 Jan

House speaker fight, battles over abortion rights and taxes loom as Missouri lawmakers return

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Rights, accusation, Corrupt politics, General Assembly, Lawmakers, legislation, Misouri, United States

"Republican factional fights are nothing new in the Missouri General Assembly. But what is new this year is the venue — the House of Representatives, where a sophomore lawmaker accusing his colleagues of corrupt politics seeks to upset the usually routine election of a speaker. State Rep. Justin Sparks of Wildwood admits history is against him in his attempt to prevent state Rep. Jon Patterson of Lee’s Summit from becoming speaker. Patterson, who was majority leader in the previous General Assembly, was designated as the GOP candidate for speaker months ago....

07 Jan

With lawsuits and legislation, Texas Republicans take aim at abortion pills

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Care, Abortion Pills, Healthcare, Lawsuits and legislation, legislation, mifepristone, Texas, Texas Republican Party, United States

"Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states like Texas to ban nearly all abortions, the number of pregnancy terminations in the United States actually increased. This paradox, which pleases abortion advocates as much as it frustrates their conservative counterparts, hinges mostly on pills. An average of 2,800 Texans receive abortion-inducing medications through the mail each month from states that still allow abortion, according to #WeCount, a tracking project from the Society of Family Planning...."

12 Dec

Early voting kicks off in Virginia’s key special elections as reproductive rights take center stage

PatLatest Newslegislation, Reproductive rights, United States, Virginia, Voting

Early voting began on Wednesday for two key special elections in Virginia’s General Assembly, with reproductive rights groups urging support for the Democratic nominees.

11 Dec

Democrats Work To Safeguard Reproductive Health Info From Data Brokers

PatLatest NewsData Privacy, Democrats, Healthcare, legislation, Reproductive rights, United States

Measures at state and national levels would ban brokers from selling health and location data that could be used to track patients seeking abortion care, The 19th reports. Also, despite broad abortion restrictions, most U.S. women aren't seeking family planning services, the CDC has found.

10 Dec

Bill Could Create Liability for Abortion Pills in Tennessee

AlanLatest NewsAbortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Healthcare, legislation, Tennesee

A pair of conflicting abortion bills were introduced to the Tennessee State Legislature Monday and could result in $5 million liability for distributors of abortion pills or a far less likely set of abortion protections

04 Dec

California lawmakers unveil new abortion protections ahead of Trump return to White House

MollyLatest News, United StatesAbortion Access, Abortion Care, abortion medication, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, California, Healthcare, Lawmakers, legislation, protections, United States

“California’s lawmakers unveiled two new pieces of legislation to protect abortion access in the state ahead of President-elect Trump’s return to the White House in January. The first of the two bills seeks to protect Californians’ access to abortion, particularly medication abortion….”

03 Dec

Zimbabwe court rules against law that denies abortion to marital rape victims and girls below 18

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Care, Court, Health care, legislation, Minors, Reproductive care, Ruling, Sexual Assault, victims, zimbabwe

“A law prohibiting abortion services for women raped by their husbands and girls under the age of 18 is unconstitutional, Zimbabwe’s High Court has ruled. In his ruling handed down on Nov. 22 and made public this week, Judge Maxwell Takuva said since Zimbabwe’s laws already criminalize marital rape and sex with a minor, victims should be allowed to abort if they become pregnant….”

01 Dec

These activists wanted more from Missouri’s abortion amendment. They’re not done yet

PatLatest NewsAbortion Rights, Healthcare, legislation, Missouri, Reproductive rights, United States

Some reproductive rights activists say that Amendment 3, which Missouri voters passed in November, didn't go far enough in expanding abortion access to help the most vulnerable populations. One sticking point was the amendment's language setting limits at "fetal viability," which does not have a true medical definition.