H. 5334 and H. 5555 -- being considered by the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee, would undermine the rights of Rhode Island women, and make abortion less affordable and less accessible.

Despite its deceptive name, H. 5334, the "Women's Right to Know Act," doesn't tell women anything they're not already being told.  Instead, it imposes a 24-hour waiting period, intended only to make it more difficult for women seeking an abortion to receive the care they desire.

H. 5555, marketed as "Informed Consent for Abortion," actually imposes an ultrasound mandate, forcing all women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound, and to listen to their physician detail the results, including "the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, and the presence of external members and internal organs."  The requirement would apply to every patient seeking an abortion -- even those who are victims of rape or whose health is threatened by their pregnancy.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

The Health, Education and Welfare Committee is currently considering two measures, H. 5334 and H. 5555, that are thinly-veiled efforts to further restrict the rights of Rhode Island women to seek a safe and legal abortion.

Under the pretense of "informed consent" and the "right to know", these bills would impose onerous new mandates on patients and providers, while ignoring privacy protections and the special needs of rape victims and women whose pregnancies threaten their own health.

Rhode Island law already requires informed consent for an abortion, and that women be informed of relevant information about their pregnancies before undergoing an abortion procedure.

An ultrasound mandate and a 24-hour waiting period service no public health benefit, and are not in the interest of patients. I urge you to oppose both H. 5334 and H. 5555 in the Health, Education and Welfare Committee.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 02, 2009