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Legislation to Watch
Learn more about the legislation affecting reproductive choice in Ohio.
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| Pro-Choice Legislation: |
| Act for Our Children's Future |
| Bill Number: |
HB 316 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Introduced 10/16/2009; Referred to House Education Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Rep. Stephen Slesnick (D-Canton); Co-Sponsors- Representatives Tom Letson (D-Warren), John Domenick (D-Smithfield), Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights), Matt Patten (D-Strongsville), Marian Harris (D-Columbus), Tyrone Yates (D-Cincinnati), Clayton Luckie (D-Dayton), Mike Foley (D-Cleveland), Kathleen Chandler (D-Kent), Robert Hagan (D-Youngstown), Dan Stewart (D-Columbus), and Ted Celeste (D-Columbus) |
HB 316, the Act for Our Children's Future will require schools that choose to provide sex education to their students to use a medically accurate, age appropriate comprehensive sex education program that starts with abstinence education but then moves beyond that subject to make sure that students know how to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy by effectively using contraception. We expect our teens to behave in a responsible way, but responsible choices require information. Multiple peer reviewed studies have found that comprehensive sexuality education programs that teach teens about abstinence, contraception, and disease control are effective at delaying the onset of intercourse, reducing the frequency of intercourse, reducing the number of sexual partners and increasing condom and contraceptive use. (Douglas Kirby, PhD. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “Emerging Answers: 2007.” November 2007.) There is no question that abstinence from sexual activity is the only protection that is 100% effective against unintended pregnancy. Therefore, abstinence deserves to be part of a comprehensive sex education effort, but not the only part. The vast majority of Ohioans agree. A 2007 Quinnipiac University poll revealed that 71% of Ohio voters felt that the best approach to sex education in Ohio's schools is to focus equally on abstinence as well as the value of condoms and contraception use. This increased to 81% for voters who have kids in school. Abstinence-only-until-marriage education fails our students and does not provide them with the information they need to make responsible and healthy decisions. This bill will make sure that the students in Ohio's schools get medically accurate, age appropriate and comprehensive sex education so that they have the information they need to stay healthy. |
| Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies |
| Bill Number: |
H.B. 333 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Introduced 10/27/2009; Referred to House Health Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Rep. Dan Stewart (D-Columbus); Co-Sponsors- Representatives Ted Celeste (D-Columbus), Joseph Koziura (D-Lorain), Marian Harris (D-Columbus), Mike Foley (D-Cleveland), Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights), Tom Letson (D-Warren), Nancy Garland (D-Gahanna), Robert Hagan (D-Youngstown), Kathleen Chandler (D-Kent), Stephen Slesnick (D-Canton), W. Carlton Weddington (D-Columbus), Barbara Boyd (D-Cleveland) |
HB 333, the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act will ensure that all rape survivors get access to emergency contraception (aka the morning after pill or Plan B) in hospital emergency rooms in Ohio, to prevent a pregnancy from occurring following the sexual assault. It will also require the hospital to give the survivor information about the possible transmission of sexually transmitted infections and be given any preventative treatment for those infections. In a 2007 study, the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Foundation found that almost 20% of hospitals in Ohio did not guarantee access to emergency contraception for rape survivors. This is totally unacceptable. We need to make sure that survivors get comprehensive medical treatment following their assault no matter where they live or what hospital they go to. We believe all women deserve CARE. To learn more about the bill watch Representative Dan Stewart's statement when he reintroduced the bill, or the statement of Sondra Miller from the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center at the press conference on 10/28/2009, or check out our emergency contraception section to learn all about this issue. |
| Contraceptive Equity |
| Bill Number: |
H.B. 332 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Introduced 10/27/2009 |
| Sponsor(s): |
Rep. Dan Stewart (D-Columbus); Co-Sponsors- Representatives Mike Skindell (D-Cleveland), Stephen Slesnick (D-Canton), Mike Foley (D-Cleveland), Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights), Tom Letson (D-Warren), Robert Hagan (D-Youngstown), Marian Harris (D-Columbus), and Nancy Garland (D-Gahanna) |
H.B. 332, Contraceptive Equity, will ensure that health insurance plans that cover prescription drugs also cover prescription contraceptives at the same level that they cover other prescription drugs. It also requires such a policy to include coverage for the visits associated with fitting or inserting a contraceptive device. With the majority of prescription plans covering drugs like Viagra isn't it only fair that they also cover the full range of FDA approved prescription contraceptives? |
| The Ohio Prevention First Act- House |
| Bill Number: |
HB 293 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Introduced 9/30/2009; referred to House Health Committee; Sponsor Testimony 10/28/2009 |
| Sponsor(s): |
Representative Tyrone Yates, Co-Sponsors: Representatives Yuko, Boyd, S. Williams, DeBose, Skindell, Foley, Patten, Harris, Garland, Celeste, Stewart, Heard, Weddington, Dyer, Sykes, Slesnick, Koziura, Hagan, Letson, Chandler, Pryor, Domenick |
This bill (introduced for the third time) will increase access to family planning services and medically accurate, age appropriate comprehensive sex education in Ohio. A companion bill has been introduced in the Ohio Senate (SB 176) by Senator Teresa Fedor. The provisions of the bill include: - Forbidding a health insurance company from limiting or excluding coverage for FDA-approved prescription contraception if the policy covers other prescription drugs or devices.
- Requiring sex education classes to provide students with medically accurate information about abstinence, contraception and condom use as ways to prevent unintended pregnancy and STD's including HIV/AIDS.
- Creating a teen pregnancy prevention state task force that would recommend medically accurate and scientifically proven effective programs for reducing Ohio's teen pregnancy rate.
- Requiring a pharmacy to dispense any prescribed drug, devise, or over-the-counter medication in stock without delay, consistent with the normal time frame.
- Ensuring that sexual assault victims have access to emergency contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases in all hospital emergency rooms.
- Requiring the Department of Health to create and make available on their website, materials to educate medical professionals and the general public about emergency contraception.
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| The Ohio Prevention First Act- Senate |
| Bill Number: |
SB 176 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Introduced 9/29/2009; Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Senator Teresa Fedor. Co-Sponsors: Senators D. Miller, Kearney, Turner, Morano, Cafaro, Strahorn, R. Miller, Wilson, Schiavoni, Sawyer, and Smith. |
This bill (introduced for the third time) will increase access to family planning services and medically accurate, age appropriate comprehensive sex education in Ohio. A companion bill has been introduced in the Ohio Senate (HB 293) by Representative Tyrone Yates. The provisions of the bill include: - Forbidding a health insurance company from limiting or excluding coverage for FDA-approved prescription contraception if the policy covers other prescription drugs or devices.
- Requiring sex education classes to provide students with medically accurate information about abstinence, contraception and condom use as ways to prevent unintended pregnancy and STD's including HIV/AIDS.
- Creating a teen pregnancy prevention state task force that would recommend medically accurate and scientifically proven effective programs for reducing Ohio's teen pregnancy rate.
- Requiring a pharmacy to dispense any prescribed drug, devise, or over-the-counter medication in stock without delay, consistent with the normal time frame.
- Ensuring that sexual assault victims have access to emergency contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases in all hospital emergency rooms.
- Requiring the Department of Health to create and make available on their website, materials to educate medical professionals and the general public about emergency contraception.
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| Anti-Choice Legislation: |
| Manditory Permission Slip Bill |
| Bill Number: |
HB 252 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
referred to Health Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Representative John Adams. Co-Sponsors: Representatives Jordan, Huffman, Blessing, Morgan, Martin, Maag, Wagner, Hall, Wachtmann, Combs, McClain, Derickson, Goodwin, Winburn, Uecker |
This bill would require a woman to get the permission of the man involved in the pregnancy before she could get an abortion. If she did not know who that was she would be compelled to pay for and participate in a paternity test to determine the identity of the man. If she were raped she would have to prove that she reported the rape, and if she was a victim of incest she would have to go through paternity testing to show that the pregnancy was a result of an act of incest. The bill does have exceptions for a woman's life and physical health, and also in the case where the man is deceased at the time of the abortion. If a woman does not get the signed permission or presents a man that is not responsible for the pregnancy to sign the permission slip she would be guilty of "abortion fraud" which is a misdemeanor of the first degree, and she could serve 6-12 months in jail if found guilty. |
| Oppose the Federal Freedom of Choice Act- House |
| Bill Number: |
HCR 13 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
referred to State Government Committee |
| Sponsor(s): |
Representative Jones (now a State Senator) Co-Sponsors: Representatives J. Adams, Amstutz, Balderson, Blair, Boose, Bubp, Derickson, Gardner, Goodwin, Grossman, Hite, Hottinger, Huffman, Jordan, Lehner, Maag, Mandel, Martin, Mecklenborg, Morgan, Sears, Stautberg, Uecker, Wagner, Wachtmann, Zehringer, and Batchelder |
This is a resolution that would "urge the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act if introduced again during the 111th Congress." This resolution is a ridiculous waste of time, especially because the Freedom of Choice Act has not yet even been introduced in this Congress, and even if it was re-introduced, House Speaker Pelosi has pledged to not bring it up for a vote. Even if she did change her mind there are not enough pro-choice votes in the House to pass the bill. Therefore we have to ask, why are our state legislators wasting their time introducing a resolutionopposing a non-existent bill when our state is in an economic emergency. Aren't there more important things for them to do? |
| Oppose the Federal Freedom of Choice Act- Senate |
| Bill Number: |
SCR 6 [ view bill ] |
| Status: |
Passed in the Health, Human Services and Aging Commitee 6/16/09 |
| Sponsor(s): |
Grendell, Buehrer. Co-Sponsors: Senators Coughlin, Gibbs, Schaffer, Seitz, Wagoner, Schuring, Faber |
This is a resolution that would "urge the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act if introduced again during the 111th Congress." This resolution is a ridiculous waste of time, especially because the Freedom of Choice Act has not yet even been introduced in this Congress, and even if it was re-introduced, House Speaker Pelosi has pledged to not bring it up for a vote. Even if she did change her mind there are not enough pro-choice votes in the House to pass the bill. Therefore we have to ask, why are our state legislators wasting their time introducing a resolution opposing a non-existent bill when our state is in an economic emergency. Aren’t there more important things for them to do?
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