Yesterday, key pro-life bills in Louisiana Right to Life’s 2016 Legislative Package saw progress at the Louisiana Capitol.
This morning, HB 386, the Women’s Enhanced Reflection Act, passed the Senate Health and Welfare Committee by a 5-2 margin. HB 618, the Compassionate Burial Options Act, passed unanimously out of the same committee.
* HB 386, authored by Rep. Frank Hoffmann (R-West Monroe), would increase the current time for reflection between pre-abortion counseling and the actual abortion procedure from 24 hours to 72 hours.
Louisiana Right to Life Legislative Director Deanna Wallace said, “We are thrilled that the Women’s Enhanced Reflection Act passed out of the Senate committee in a bipartisan manner. This important bill empowers women considering abortion with additional reflection time before an abortion so women can can consider their options more effectively. Not only would this protect women from future emotional and psychological harm, but it would give victims of coercion and violence more time to reach out for help before being forced into an abortion they do not want.”
* HB 618, authored by Rep. Tom Wilmott (R-Kenner), would require hospitals to inform parents who suffer the tragedy of miscarriage that they have a right to bury or cremate their child.
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“The Compassionate Burial Options Act opens the door to allow parents to properly grieve the loss of miscarriage and can facilitate the healing process for the family,” said Wallace. “We look forward to this legislation receiving a vote on the Senate floor soon.”
This afternoon, the Louisiana House of Representatives passed two pro-life bills, HB 606 and HB 815, off the floor by large bi-partisan margins.
* HB 606, authored by Hoffman and initiated by Gov. John Bel Edwards, was approved on the House floor by a 85-7 margin. HB 606 ensures that businesses and organizations that perform abortions cannot receive taxpayer dollars, even for other purposes.
Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life, said, “HB 606 continues the long standing policy of Louisiana that tax dollars should be completely separated from abortions and organizations that sell abortion. We applaud Gov. John Bel Edwards for spearheading this important legislation.”
* HB 815, the Unborn Child Dignity Act authored by Rep. Julie Stokes, passed the House unanimously (85-0). HB 815 prohibits the sale or donation of human body parts that are harvested as a result of an elective abortion. The premise of this bill is that the abortion practice violates the “dead donor rule,” which states that organ donors must be dead before procurement of organs begins, and that organ procurement itself must not cause the death of the donor.
“Louisiana citizens do not want Planned Parenthood or other abortion businesses engaging in the inhumane practice of selling the broken body parts of babies after abortion,” Clapper said. “Thanks to Rep. Stokes for her leadership in authoring HB 815 to make sure we do not see this practice in Louisiana.”
