The Idaho House State Affairs Committee on Thursday voted 13-4 to approve legislation (HB 516) that would mandate that abortion providers inform patients seeking abortion care where they can receive a no-cost ultrasound, the AP/Sacramento Bee reports (Kruesi, AP/Sacramento Bee, 2/25).
Bill details
The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Ron Nate (R), would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to assemble a list of facilities that provide women seeking abortion care with no-cost ultrasounds. Abortion providers would be required to include the list in the packet of state-mandated information they are obligated to give to patients.
Currently, state law mandates that women be offered the opportunity to view the ultrasound if one is performed by an abortion provider.
Concerns about CPCs
When the bill was introduced, some state lawmakers raised concerns that most ultrasounds provided at no cost would primarily be offered by antiabortion-rights crisis pregnancy centers (Women's Health Policy Report, 2/19).
During the vote Thursday, opponents of the bill raised related concerns, noting that the legislation does not require that the provider offering ultrasounds at no cost give patients medically accurate information. State lawmakers rejected a motion to include such a provision.
Hannah Brass Greer, legislative director for Planned Parenthood in Idaho, said, "The requirements in this bill have little to do with informed consent or information, but have everything to do with pushing women toward facilities with [anti]abortion agendas" (AP/Sacramento Bee, 2/25).
