Political Updates
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NARAL P.O. Box 279 |
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HB 615: Clinic Safety Bill
Sponsored by Rep. Eve Franklin (D-Great Falls)
This bill would have provided a safety zone or "bubble" for patients or staff entering or exiting health care facilities. H.B. 615 was modeled after a Colorado law that prevents protestors from approaching within eight feet of people entering or exiting health care facilities without their consent within a 36-foot buffer. Existing law does not adequately protect public safety around health care facilities. This bill struck a reasonable and responsible balance between a patient's right to access health care and a protester's right to free speech. This bill passed in the House. It was tabled in Senate Judiciary committee.
Click below to see how your Montana legislators voted. (A yes vote is pro-choice.)
Why NARAL Pro-Choice Montana supported HB 615: Courts all over the nation have ruled that safety zones provide an important guarantee of public safety without threatening free speech. The U.S. General Accounting Office identified 24 reported court cases supporting the federal buffer zone law and other state laws that HB 615 was based on. In all 24 of these cases, the courts ultimately found buffer zone laws to be unconstitutional.
Thousands of Montanans attempting to seek reproductive health care are subjected to the harassment of protestors blocking entrance to health care clinics. We need to protect access to healthcare and public safety. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws similar to HB 615 in order to protect clinic staff and patients and ensure that people have access to medical care.
Talking Points:
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