HB 59 – FY 2014-2015 Main Operating Budget (2013-2014)

As It Pertains to Reproductive Freedom/Women’s Rights

Link to Bill:

Summary:

HB 59 is the main operating budget for fiscal years 2014-2015. The sections that are pertinent to reproductive freedom do the following:

Reprioritize funding from specific federal grants, so that certain family planning service providers, such as Planned Parenthood, are funded last;

Establish the Ohio Parenting and Pregnancy Program which promotes “childbirth, parenting, and alternatives to abortion”;

Prohibit the Ohio Parenting and Pregnancy Program from entering agreements with entities that are “involved or associated with any abortion activities,” including counseling and referrals for abortion clinics, providing medical abortion-related procedures, and supporting abortion in advertising;

Prohibit the Ohio Parenting and Pregnancy Program from entering agreements with entities that are “involved or associated with any abortion activities,” including counseling and referrals for abortion clinics, providing medical abortion-related procedures, and supporting abortion in advertising;

Prohibit any public hospital and any physician with admitting privileges at a public hospital from having a written transfer agreements with ambulatory surgical facilities that perform or induce abortions;

Require ambulatory surgical facilities to have a written transfer agreement or an exception called a variance, which must be signed by a doctor at a local hospital;

Mandate a check for a fetal heartbeat before abortions in non-medical emergencies; and,

Prohibit abortions until 24 hours after a woman is notified in writing of a fetal heartbeat and the statistical probability of bringing the fetus to term except in medical emergencies

Primary Sponsors:

Committee:

Finance and Appropriations (H)

LSC Legislation Status:

Jurisdiction/Legislation Level:

State

Our take on this bill:

Amendments to HB 59 stand to affect the reproductive options of women around Ohio. This budget not only decreases funding for non-public entities like Planned Parenthood which focus exclusively on family planning services, it essentially establishes a pipeline to fund crisis pregnancy centers through the Ohio Parenting and Pregnancy Program. Further, the written transfer agreement parts of the budget make it impossible for some abortion providers to keep their doors open by depriving them of doctors with admitting privileges at public hospitals across the state. Taken together, HB 59 effectively limits women’s access to complete and impartial reproductive resources and services. And even when women access abortion services, medical providers must perform a check for a fetal heartbeat and if found, must clear more paperwork and have a woman wait another 24 hours. Women deserve to be in control over their reproductive lives, and the ACLU of Ohio opposes these efforts to curb the availability of full reproductive information and services.

Bill Status: