H. B. 2199
(By Delegate Walters)
[Introduced February 11, 2005; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then the
Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §33-42-9, relating
to prohibiting the Department of Health and Human Resources
from being involved in aiding or assisting any person to
obtain an abortion to a greater extent than is required by law
and prescribing criminal penalties for violations of the
section.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §33-42-9, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 42. WOMEN'S ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ACT.
§33-42-9. Department of Health and Human Resources involvement in abortions limited; penalty.
The Department of Health and Human Resources is hereby
prohibited from being involved in aiding or assisting any person to
obtain an abortion to a greater extent than is required by law.
Any employee, agent or contractor of the Department of Health and
Human Resources who violates the requirements of this section is
guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
fined not less than one thousand dollars nor more than five
thousand dollars. Nothing in this section shall be construed or
interpreted to endorse, allow, permit or approve of any abortion.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the Department
of Health and Human Resources from being involved in aiding or
assisting any person to obtain an abortion to a greater extent than
is required by law and to prescribe criminal penalties for
violations of the section.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.