HB223 Alabama 2012 Session

Under existing law, no provision of law expressly provides comprehensive standards of medical care for abortion or reproductive health centers.

This bill would provide comprehensive standards, define terms, express legislative findings, intent, and declarations.

This bill would require physician involvement in abortion or reproductive health centers.

This bill would require certain standards in nursing care in abortion or reproductive health centers.

This bill would require patients receive all professional standards of practice and care.

This bill would require certain procedures in the administering of anesthesia, examination of tissue removed, postoperative care, anti-Rh globulin therapy, and follow-up care.

This bill would require each abortion or reproductive health center report each abortion to the Center for Health Statistics.

This bill would provide procedures for pharmaceuticals and drug safety and for preventing infections in the facility.

This bill would require all testing and diagnostic equipment be kept in good working order.

This bill would classify an abortion or reproductive health center as an ambulatory health care occupancy and require certain standards be met.

This bill would require the center to report the name of the father of the unborn child to law enforcement in certain circumstances.

This bill would require the Board of Health to adopt rules.

This bill would provide criminal and civil penalties for failure to comply.

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose.

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment.

To require physician involvement in an abortion performed at an abortion or reproductive health center; to define terms and express legislative intent; to require certain standards in nursing care, post-operative and follow-up care, drug safety, and equipment testing; to require the father's name be reported to law enforcement in certain circumstances; to require the Board of Health to adopt rules and to provide criminal and civil penalties for failure to comply; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.