Arkansas women who seek abortions are a step closer to having more stringent health protection after the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee passed SB45 on Wednesday. The measure, known as The Abortion Patient’s Enhanced Safety Act, was introduced by State Senator Jason Rapert (R-18).
Rapert’s bill requires abortion clinics to operate under the same rules and regulations as ambulatory surgical centers.
Rapert fought hard to see the bill through: “The committee made a great first step in voting for legislation that raises the standards of protection for women seeking abortions,” he said. “This measure was written to create a safer experience for these women. Safety is the chief concern.”
Rapert told the senate panel that the guidelines abortion clinics currently follow do not promote the highest safety standards for women who undergo the invasive surgical procedure. He said if abortion clinics are performing the surgery, then they need to follow the rules and regulations of an ambulatory surgical center. He cited studies which show that 95 percent of all abortions are performed in clinics devoted solely to providing abortions and family planning services.
“There is a lack of oversight of abortion clinics,” Rapert said. “It represents severe health risks to women.”
The health risks Rapert noted included hemorrhage, infection, uterine perforation, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest and even death. Connie Melton of the Arkansas Department of Health told the panel that rules for ambulatory surgical centers are more stringent and comprehensive than the guidelines that abortion clinics must follow now.
Rose Mimms, Executive Director of Arkansas Right to Life attended the meeting and voiced support for Rapert’s bill by urging the panel to approve it. “Don’t the women of Arkansas deserve the very best that Arkansas can provide them?” she asked.
Rapert said: “I am pleased that The Abortion Patient’s Enhanced Safety Act bill passed committe and that a stand was taken on behalf of the safety of Arkansas women. At the end of the day, this bill is simply about a higher standard of care. It’s about raising our standards and protecting women who seek abortions. I believe in higher standards of health protection, and I will continue to fight for patient safety by seeing this bill through to become full law.”
