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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6/13/19  10:02 am
Commenter: Stephanie Malady

Scrap TRAP
 

Many medical procedures, including childbirth, are far more dangerous to patients, yet are not subject to ambulatory surgical-center requirements. It is imperative that Virginia's anti-choice Targeted Regulations on Abortion Providers (TRAP) regulations be amended to reflect medical need.

Access to the full range of reproductive healthcare is critical to facilitating the well being of Virginia residents. Implementation of costly, medically unfounded regulations that hinder access to critical health services for the general population is in direct opposition to your mandate.

Furthermore, not only are these regulations medically unsound, they have been found to be unconstitutional.  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 TRAP architectural requirements are clearly unconstitutional under this standard.

CommentID: 72564