Today, Louisiana Right to Life’s 2016 State Legislative Agenda began in earnest as the House Health and Welfare Committee considered two pieces of important pro-life legislation. HB 386, the Women’s Enhanced Reflection Act, and HB 488, the Board Certification Requirement for Abortion Providers Act, both passed out of the committee without opposition.

HB 386 would increase the current time for reflection between pre-abortion counseling and the actual abortion procedure from 24 hours to 72 hours.

Deanna Wallace, Louisiana Right to Life’s Legislative Director, said: “Louisiana women deserve adequate time to consider all their options and to seek the help and resources they need to help themselves and their unborn children. This bill will ensure that they do have true choice in their decision. We are so thankful for Chairman (Frank) Hoffmann bringing this bill and for the support of the committee.”

HB 488, authored by Rep. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe, would require that abortion providers be board certified or board eligible in order to be qualified to perform the surgical procedure of abortion.

Louisiana Right to Life Associate Director Ryan Verret, who spoke on behalf of HB 488, said: “Board certification is important because it keeps a physician’s specialty current. It also upholds a very important standard that helps to protect patients during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. This bill will also prevent anyone without that special training from performing an abortion and endangering a pregnant woman’s health.”

Verret commended committee members for passage of the two bills.

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“We are very appreciative to the House Health and Welfare Committee’s unanimous decisions to support both Rep. Jackson’s HB 488 as well as Chairman Hoffmann’s HB 386 today.”

Louisiana Right to Life is supporting the following piece of pro-life legislation this session.

– HB 386: Women’s Enhanced Reflection Act

– HB 488: Board Certification Requirement for Abortion Providers

– HB 815 and SB 33: Unborn Child Dignity Act

– HB 889: Whole Women’s Health Care Funding Act

– HB 606 and SB 264: Defunding Planned Parenthood

– HB 618: Compassionate Burial Options

“Our Legislative Agenda in 2016 is focused on protecting both unborn children and their mothers,” said Wallace. “From the Woman’s Enhanced Reflection Act providing women additional reflection time to consider their options, to the Unborn Child Dignity Act that ensures the body parts of aborted babies cannot be sold, our legislation embodies a belief that we should never have to choose between the health, safety, and dignity of women and the rights of unborn babies.”