HB 1080: More government, less health care for women House Bill 1080 was passed by the Indiana House, 2/1/06.  HB 1080 would effectively close the doors of every abortion clinic in Indiana. HB 1080 contains the clinic regulations that Indiana Right to Life proposed, and the state department of health (ISDH) rejected, from the abortion clinic licensure process.  These regulations remove the normal exemption from physical plant standards issued to all other medical providers and now require abortion clinics to meet strict physical standards by January 2007.  Meeting the physical standards means millions of dollars in renovation or new construction; the women of Indiana will be without options for safe, legal abortion for months or even years before existing clinics could meet the new standards. It was not the intention of ISDH to close clinic doors.  However, that was exactly the intention of Indiana Right to Life.  Should our legislature take the advice of medical experts or radical extremists?  Give your representative your advice.  Don't let them separate abortion providers from the medical community!  Don't let them jeopardize women's health and safety!  Sample Letter for Campaign Subject: Dear [ Decision Maker ] , As your constituent, I ask you to say "Enough is enough!" and vote against HB 1080. HB 1080 would single out abortion providers from the medical community and override the regulatory authority of the Indiana State Department of Health. If passed, this bill will close abortion clinics indefinitely, thereby throwing the health and safety of Indiana women to the wind. Without qualified medical professionals to turn to, women may start seeking their own means to end unintended pregnancies. I understand that the idea behind HB 1080 is to reduce the number of abortions, but this won't do it. It will merely leave women in crisis stranded without appropriate medical care. If lawmakers truly wish to reduce the number of abortions, they should use their legislative powers to increase access to birth control and comprehensive sex education for all Indiana citizens. Only by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies will we reduce the number of abortions. I beg that you put the health and safety of women ahead of political extremism. Vote "NO" on HB 1080! Sincerely,

Campaign Launched: February 02, 2006

Background Information

After the 2005 session, the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) worked extremely hard and fast to establish special procedures for the regulation, inspection, and licensure of abortion facilities as directed by the legislature.  Despite the fact that the ISDH has compiled 38 pages of regulations abortion providers must follow in order to be licensed, they left a measure out of the regulations that was specifically requested by Indiana Right to Life during the public comment period:  that ISDH not permit exceptions to the physical plant standards. 

As written, the ISDH regulations require strict, technical building requirements for abortion facility licensure, but allow an existing facility to be “grandfathered in” and function in their current environment until they renovate or relocate the facility, at which time the new facility must meet all updated requirements.  This “grandfather clause” is typical of any new regulation ISDH implements, but Right to Life pushed against it because they know that it alone would close every abortion facility in the state.

HB 1080 now carries the torch for Right to Life, trying to force ISDH to conform to political, not medical practices.  All of this even when ISDH reports that the complication rate for first trimester abortions—in facilities as they exist now—is less than 0.5%.  Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana adamantly opposes the creation of a double standard within the medical community.  Despite the fact that it is among the safest medical procedures, abortion is one of the most highly regulated procedures in the country. 

HB 1080 would do nothing to improve the health and safety of women, which is likely why the Indiana State Department of Health’s Executive Board rejected the concept.  On the contrary, HB 1080 would jeopardize women's health and safety, because it would leave them without options for safe, legal abortions.