Tough New Abortion Clinic Regulations Could Soon Become Law
Ever since a Philadelphia grand jury uncovered abhorrent conditions at the Women’s Medical Society clinic in West Philadelphia, state lawmakers have been working on response. They’ve come up with an amended version of SB 732, a bill that would hold abortion clinics to the same licensing regulations as other surgical health care facilities. “If they’re going to do a surgical procedure, they should be subjected to the same regulations as the other 212 ambulatory surgical centers,” says State Rep. Matt Baker (R-Bradford), the leading proponent of this language in the House.
But critics say the regulations that govern ambulatory surgical facilities were intended for clinics that perform high-risk procedures. “Abortion doesn’t have nearly the complications that other procedures do,” says ACLU of Pennsylvania Legislative Director Andy Hoover.
The bill’s opponents argue that the would-be regulations are too onerous and costly – likely forcing many women’s health clinics to close their doors for good. “As is said so often about other issues, we need to enforce the laws we already have,” State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) said in a statement. Frankel’s amendment, which he says would have addressed the so-called ‘house of horrors’ clinic in Philadelphia, was defeated. Frankel says the state simply failed to do its job inspecting that clinic.
SB 732 passed the House, Tuesday, with a vote of 151 – 44. It is expected to receive a concurrence vote in the Senate on Wednesday, its last scheduled day of session in 2011.
The House also passed HB 1977, which would prohibit health insurers from covering abortions under forthcoming health insurance exchanges that are being created by the federal health insurance reform law. It advanced out of the House with a 146 – 45 vote, and currently awaits Senate committee action.
