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Anti-Abortion Bills Receive Overwhelming Opposition In House Judiciary Hearings

For Immediate Release: Feb. 9, 2022


CONCORD - On Wednesday, February 9, the New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee held hearings on three extreme anti-abortion bills. 

HB 1181 would allow any man, without proving paternity in advance, to file a petition with the court to immediately prohibit a pregnant person from having an abortion. HB 1477 is a Texas-style 6-week abortion ban that would effectively outlaw abortion access in New Hampshire. And HB 1625 would repeal New Hampshire’s patient safety zone law.

Committee Chair Ned Gordon announced before the hearings he intends to hold an executive session on this legislation on the morning of Friday, February 18. 

Below is the public sign-in information for the bills:

Statement from Liz Canada, Advocacy Manager for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund:

“When Governor Chris Sununu and Senator Chuck Morse’s abortion ban and ultrasound mandate were signed into law last year, we knew that extreme anti-abortion politicians wouldn’t be satisifed.  As the Supreme Court considers the fate of Roe v. Wade, out-of-touch elected officials are back with a Texas-style six-week abortion ban, an effort to endanger the privacy and safety of reproductive health center patients, and a bill that would allow any man to petition a New Hampshire court to halt an abortion procedure - in or out of New Hampshire. As the House Judiciary Committee heard today, Granite Staters are overwhelmingly opposed to these bills and any additional restrictions on abortion care. We urge the Committee, and the House of Representatives, to reject further government interference in private medical decisions and find HB 1181, HB 1477, and HB 1625 “Inexpedient to Legislate.””

BACKGROUND:

Testimony: 

HB 1181 - Bio Father Bill

  • This bill is one of the most extreme attacks on abortion and bodily autonomy in the country. It would allow any man - without needing to prove paternity in advance - to file a petition with a New Hampshire court to prevent a pregnant person from having an abortion until the legal process concluded.

  • Not only does this have problematic implications regarding bodily autonomy, it would also be logistically impossible to manage. The pregnant person must attend the hearing in person - even if they live out of state. Therefore, they may have only days to organize and arrange for travel to the proper venue.

  • This bill does not require proven paternity prior to prohibiting a pregnant person from accessing abortion. The legal process could take up to a month to conclude, prohibiting the pregnant person from accessing abortion during that time.

  • Additionally, survivors of rape would be forced to report their rape prior to her rapist taking her to court to prevent her abortion. For people who are pregnant as a result of incest, this bill would put the financial burden of obtaining DNA from both parties onto the pregnant woman.

HB 1477 - Six-Week Abortion Ban

  • This bill would prohibit all abortion after detection of fetal cardiac activity, with only an exception for “prevent[ing] the death of a pregnant woman or to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.”

  • This bill would ban almost all abortion in New Hampshire, similar to what Texas has had in place since September 1, 2021.

  • This deeply unpopular legislation is a blatant violation of decades of Supreme Court precedent and flies in the face of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey - currently the law of the land.

HB 1625 - Patient Safety Zone Repeal Bill

  • This bill would repeal New Hampshire’s patient safety zone law, which passed with bipartisan support in 2014 to protect patient and provider safety and privacy at reproductive health centers. 

  • The original law allows health centers to establish patient safety zones of up to 25 feet and it was intentionally designed to strike a balance between patient safety and an individual’s First Amendment rights. It’s an important tool in the toolbox for public safety measures.

  • The attacks on reproductive health centers continue to escalate; on December 31, 2021, a Planned Parenthood in Knoxville, Tennessee was destroyed by an arson attack. We know that as states move to ban abortion across the country, anti-abortion protestors will travel to states that still allow abortion care - and we need to proactively protect the safety of patients and providers. 

Additional Legislation Before House Judiciary This Week:

On Thursday, February 10, 2022, the House Judiciary Committee will hear the following abortion rights bills:

  • 9:00 a.m.: CACR 18: relating to reproductive medical decisions. Providing that the state shall not infringe or unduly inconvenience the right of reproductive medical decisions.

  • 10:00 a.m.: HB 1674: relative to reproductive rights. (Access to Abortion-care Act)

  • 1:00 p.m.:  HB 1673: relative to women's health privacy and repealing the fetal health protection act.

Polling:

  • The truth is, most Granite Staters and most Americans support access to safe, legal abortion. If someone has decided to have an abortion, more than 8 in 10 respondents want the experience to be supportive and nonjudgmental, without added burdens or protesters, affordable and safe. 

Supreme Court:

  • Two U.S. Supreme Court cases could overturn Roe v. Wade, jeopardizing abortion access in our country. By next year, 26 states could lose abortion access, impacting 36 million - or nearly half of U.S. women of reproductive age (18-49) and more people who  can become pregnant. 

    • The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Texas’ SB 8 on November 1, 2021, although not about the constitutionality of the law. SB 8 is a 6-week abortion ban, which is currently in place. Abortion remains virtually inaccessible in Texas. 

    • The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on December 1, 2021, which marks the first time in 50 years the Court agreed to hear a case on the constitutionality of a pre-viability abortion ban.

    • There are 16 additional abortion-related cases one step away from the Supreme Court.

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Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) is the largest provider of reproductive and sexual health care across the State of New Hampshire. We serve New Hampshire residents through 6 health centers in Claremont, Derry, Exeter, Keene, Manchester and White River Junction, VT. Last year we saw more than 10,000 patients at these sites. PPNNE was named a 2021 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey, the national leader in health care consumer and workforce engagement. Press Ganey recognizes PPNNE as a top-performing health care organization, achieving the 95th percentile or above for performance in patient experience, out of more than 20,000 medical practices.

Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund (PPNHAF) is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in New Hampshire. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy. 

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