Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Virginia Department of Health
 
Board
State Board of Health
 
chapter
Regulations for Licensure of Abortion Facilities [12 VAC 5 ‑ 412]
Action Amend the Regulation after Assessment and Receipt of Public Comment
Stage NOIRA
Comment Period Ended on 7/10/2019
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6/10/19  7:50 pm
Commenter: Prabha Iyer

Remove unnecessary restrictions on abortion access
 

Please amend Virginia's politically-motivated Targeted Regulations on Abortion Providers (TRAP) regulations to reflect medicine and science. In 2016, the Supreme Court ruled in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt that restrictions that have no medical benefit and are designed simply to limit access to abortion and shut down healthcare clinics are unconstitutional. Virginia's architectural requirements are clearly unconstitutional under this standard. Further, the excessive administrative requirements present an additional undue burden to providers and patients in a blatant attempt to paperwork women's health centers out of business. 

As you consider amendments to Virginia's abortion provider regulations, I hope you will prioritize patient confidentiality and access to healthcare.  Please heed the expertise of doctors, medical professionals and legal experts and amend these onerous, medically-unnecessary, and unconstitutional regulations to be based only on science and the standard of care.

Thank you,

Prabha Iyer

CommentID: 72533