Reproductive Rights

Here are some bills being proposed this legislative session in the Virginia General Assembly. There may be others, I did not search on terms relating to reproductive health, these bills were found through a search of various legislators.

A preface to those who go to read the full text of the bills -- from my vague understanding, regular type indicates statutes that already exist and italics denotes what is being proposed. If you're interested, check out the LIS to learn more about the bill and how to contact your delegate or senator (http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform).

Some of these bills may set the stage for outlawing abortion. E.g. if a fetus is given anesthesia during an abortion, perhaps the next step is to find that the fetus is being murdered, not aborted...

Anesthesia for fetal pain. Observes that fetuses over the gestational age of 20 weeks feel pain and provides that failure, subject to exceptions, of a physician to administer anesthesia to such a fetus prior to an abortion is a Class 1 misdemeanor. HOUSE BILL NO. 1524
Full text

Emergency postcoital contraception. Provides that public two- and four-year institutions of higher education are not immune from civil liability resulting from injury sustained from exposure to emergency postcoital contraception, commonly referred to as "morning after pills," prescribed or dispensed by the medical or nursing staff employed or contracted by the institution to provide student health care services. House Bill 1813
Full Text

Gruesome...
Execution of pregnant inmate. Proscribes the execution of an inmate while she is pregnant. The bill requires the Department of Corrections, if it finds that such female inmate is pregnant, to petition the sentencing court for a new execution date, which is at least 10 months later than the original execution date. The bill does not give the court discretion to determine the accuracy of the Department's finding but only the authority to set a new execution date.
House Bill 1812
Full text

Sale of or other traffic in fetal body parts; civil penalty.
Summary as introduced:Sale of or other traffic in fetal body parts; civil penalty. Makes the sale of or other traffic in fetal body parts a prohibited business practice. Violators of the statute may be assessed a $1,000 civil penalty per fetal body part sold or otherwise trafficked but are not subject to criminal prosecution. House Bill 1809
Full text

Sale of post-abortion fetal tissue unlawful; penalty.
Summary as introduced:Sale of post-abortion fetal tissue unlawful; penalty. Provides that any physician who performs an abortion and sells or offers for sale fetal tissue resulting from the abortion is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. House Bill 1810
Full Text