State lawmakers are in favor of keeping adoption agencies from applying for pregnancy help center status. Under legislation passed three years ago, women seeking an abortion must wait 72-hours and receive counseling at pregnancy help centers. Current law restricts abortion clinics from the help center designation.
Supporters of House Bill 1180 say women seeking an abortion need neutral counseling centers. The bill also requires pregnancy help centers to annually report licensed counselors to the Department of Health, which proponents say strengthens the counseling requirement.
But opponents are concerned about the level of training pregnancy help center staffs receive and worry this legislation will discourage women from pursuing adoption. Senator Angie Buhl O’Donnell is adopted and says adoption agencies are great resources for people starting a family.
“As I understand it, the original intent of House Bill 1217 that this body passed three years ago was to encourage pregnant women to seek out options and additional information when they’re faced with an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. It seems to me that if those women are particularly interested in adoption it would be helpful for them to, while they’re making that state-required visit anyway, to be able to hear straight from the folks that help deal with that to answer logistical questions,” Buhl O’Donnell says.
Those in favor of House Bill 1180 say it does nothing to prevent a woman from visiting an adoption agency for options, the agency just can’t provide counseling prior to an abortion. The Senate advances the legislation with a vote of 26 to 9. It now heads to the Governor’s desk for final approval.