Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 28, 1993 TAG: 9306280034
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
To protect the reproductive rights of women.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
This Act may be cited as the "Freedom of Choice Act of 1993."
SECTION 2. PURPOSE
It is the purpose of this Act to establish, as a statutory matter, limitations upon the power of the States to restrict the freedom of a woman to terminate a pregnancy, in order to achieve the same limitations as provided, as a constitutional matter, under the strict scrutiny standard of review enunciated in Roe vs. Wade and applied in subsequent cases from 1973 to 1988.
SECTION 3. RIGHT TO CHOOSE
(a) IN GENERAL - Except as provided in subsection (b), a state may not restrict the right of a woman to choose to terminate a pregnancy -
(1) before fetal viability; or
(2) at any time, if such termination is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman.
(b) MEDICALLY NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS - A state may impose requirements medically necessary to protect the life or health of women referred to in subsection (a).
(c) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION - Nothing in the Act shall be constructed to -
(1) prevent a state from protecting unwilling individuals or private health-care institutions from having to participate in the performance of abortions to which they are conscientiously opposed.
(2) encourage or prevent a state requirement that a minor involve a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult before terminating a pregnancy, but any state that imposes such a requirement shall implement a confidential and expeditious bypass.
(The Senate version of the bill includes in this section a third provision stating that "Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prevent a state from declining to pay for the performance of abortions.")
SECTION 4. DEFINITION OF "STATE"
As used in this Act, the term "State" includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each other territory or possession of the United States.
(The Senate version of the bill also includes a three-page section of "findings" or justifications for considering and enacting such legislation. Those include such things as contentions of increased incidents of "illegal or medically less safe abortions," burdens to interstate commerce and infringement of women's rights because the Supreme Court has allowed expanded restrictions on abortions since 1989.)
Keywords:
ABORTION
by CNB