The Virginia General Assembly opening on January 10, 2001 once again will address the issue of informed consent, also known as “A Woman’s Right to Know.” The bill will require a woman to be offered information on alternatives to abortion and on scientifically accurate medical facts about the development of her unborn child prior to her making a decision on having an abortion. The current “informed consent” statute only requires the abortionist to tell a woman of medical risks “if any” in her particular situation.

The bill will be sponsored in the House by Delegate Bob McDonnell (R-Virginia Beach) and in the Senate by Senator Randy Forbes (R-Chesapeake).

A similar bill has passed the House of Delegates in the past three years by overwhelming margins, last year by 64-35. However, each year it has failed to emerge from the Senate Education and Health Committee.

Please contact your Delegate and your State Senator and tell them how important this bill is. See a fact sheet and talking points for further details. Feel free to copy and distribute this information to others.

Other issues

The VSHL Legislation Committee will be alert to all potential bills of pro-life interest as details become known. Legislation moves very rapidly in the Virginia General Assembly, especially since this is a short 45-day session. It is important to keep up-to-date on at least a weekly, and sometimes even a daily, basis. If you use a computer online, you can sign up for our e-mail list, which will send out messages when legislative action is needed. Also, check our web site and sign up to receive automatic e-mail messages whenever something is added. If you don’t have a computer, check our telephone hot line. Details on all of these methods are in the box at the right. Then, when action is needed, use the phone number below.

Published in VSHL Lifesaver, January 2001