A bill that further restricts pregnancy help centers from providing adoptions passed through the South Dakota House of Representatives Monday. Under current law, pregnancy help centers that counsel pregnant women cannot provide abortions – the bill expands to include adoptions.
House Bill 1180 redefines pregnancy help centers to not include adoption centers. It also adds a requirement for centers listed on the state’s registry to supply a list of licensed counselors. Supporters say House Bill 1180 strengthens the anti-coercion law by promoting professional counseling standards. Representative Melissa Magstadt supports redefining pregnancy help centers.
“It’s hoping to establish some neutrality of a place where there is a neutral place where women can go and talk through issues regarding their pregnancy. Abortion centers make money from having abortions, adoption centers make money from facilitating adoptions. Both have a vested interest in the end result of that woman’s choice. Therefore, neither should be a place where women go to have their options presented because you’re going to find it slanted one way or the other,” Magstadt says.
Magstadt says pregnancy help centers can still discuss those options. Opponents disagree and worry the legislation will make it more difficult to become a certified help center. There are currently two certified pregnancy help centers in South Dakota that comply with law passed in 2011. Representative Peggy Gibson doesn’t agree with forcing women seeking abortions to visit a pregnancy help center.
“I maintain that House Bill 1180 is definitely perplexing. I was involved in a bill in 2011 maintaining that the crises pregnancy centers were an unnecessary step in a woman trying to obtain a legal and safe abortion in this country because they were staffed by persons who weren’t certified,” Gibson says.
Gibson says the legislation isn’t needed as portions of the 2011 law are still under court review. Prime Sponsor Scott Ecklund asks legislators to take the bill as it is, just upping the standard for the pregnancy help centers. House Bill 1180 passed the full chamber 54 to 14.