HB 462: Licensure of Abortion Facilities
Sponsored by Rep. Clarice Schrumpf (R-Billings)
The bill would have increased license fees for health care facilities where abortions are performed to $500, while all other health care facilities paid a $50 licensure fee. The purpose of the bill was to decrease the number of providers. The bill purported to promote maternal health and safety, but in fact simply added to the cost of providing abortion services by imposing medically unnecessary regulations. This regulatory scheme would have created significant, unnecessary burdens to abortion. The bill failed in House Business & Labor committee.
This bill was tabled in committee and never came to a floor vote.
Why NARAL Pro-Choice Montana was against HB 462: This measure is nothing more than an attempt to place barriers in access to abortion services by substantially increasing the costs for providers. This bill singled out one type of procedure for regulation, not because there is a need, but due to ideology.
Talking Points:
- Supporters of this bill talked about the dangerousness of abortion, but surgical abortion is one of the safest surgical procedures. No one has died of abortion or abortion complications in Montana since 1974, after legalization. Risks associated with other outpatient surgical procedures, such as dental procedures, plastic surgery, and hernia operations are far greater than any risk assoicated with abortion.
- Supporters of this bill argued that abortion clinics are not regulated in Montana—this bill was a simple measure to enact those regulations. Abortion clinics are included within the larger definition of “health care facility” for the purposed of regulatory provisions. This bill changes the definitions of abortion clinic and other terms to allow different and greater regulations than are in place for any other healthcare facility. Abortion providers already comply with state and federal laws governing health care providers who perform similar services.
- This measure was nothing more than an attempt to place barriers on access to abortion services. This bill was an attempt to make it more burdensome and expensive to access abortion services. These measures have the greatest impact on rural women, young women, and low-income women. It does not provide protection to patients, but attempts to place medical services out of reach.
- Increasing licensure fees makes it more difficult for clinics to provide low cost medical care for low-income Montanans. Abortion clinics provide many health care services besides abortion services, including cancer screening and prescription contraceptives.
NARAL Pro-Choice Montana
P.O. Box 279, Helena MT 59624 | 406.443.0276 | mtnaral@mt.net
© 2007 NARAL Pro-Choice Montana
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