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 News Archive 2014






Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has stopped the enforcement of the emergency rule governing the abortion clinic and licensing standards
by Nathan'ette Burdine: February 24, 2014
 


Governor Bobby Jindal’s (R-LA) Administration has stopped the enforcement of the Emergency Rule for the Abortion Facilities Licensing Standards.

The law governs the licensing standards and practices of doctors, nurses, and staff working at the abortion clinics.

Some of the abortion facilities licensing standard’s requirements included doctors being required to perform an ultrasound 24 hours before an abortion is scheduled to take place, and a blood test being perform 30 days before the abortion is scheduled to take place.

The Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is the state’s governing agency in charge of enforcing the Emergency Rule.

On January 28, 2014, the state informed abortion clinic providers that they no longer had to perform the blood test.

The Times-Picayune reported that Olivia Watkins, spokeswoman for Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, stated that DHH decided to stop the enforcement of the emergency rule because the state needed to clarify the rules in order to clear up any misunderstandings there are about how the laws would be enforced.

According to Reality Check , some people have expressed concerns that they were not given enough time to update their policies so that they would be in compliance with the new rules.

Kathaleen Pittman, who’s the Hope Medical Group for Women’s administrator, told Reality Check that she first became aware of the new rules after the state published the rules. And Attorney Ellie Schilling, whose clients include abortion clinic providers, told Reality Check that the law has stringent requirements, like “tripling the procedure room sizes,” that an abortion clinic must meet in a short time frame.

DHH did not give an exact date when the rules will be updated. But, the agency did say that they would notify the public in due time and give them a chance to have some input on the rules’ change.

In a February 3, 2014, press release, DHH said, “The Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) is rescinding its November 2013 rule for outpatient abortion facilities licensing standards. The Department will reissue a revised rule and notice of intent at a late date.”




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