IN 2011 AND 2012 there has been an UNPRECEDENTEDLY LARGE amount of proposed legislation that attempts to restrict women’s reproductive health and freedoms. Clearly, state governments HAVE MORE APPROPRIATE THINGS TO DO than spend countless hours proposing and debating legislation in an attempt to hinder abortion access and contraception. This must stop! Since the ability to reproduce is peculiar to the female sex, it is safe to consider these attacks a form of blatant sexism. Many states have tried to hinder reproductive freedoms, some have failed and others have succeeded. The state of Illinois is not immune to these attacks!

ALONG WITH MCDONOUGH COUNTY’S VERY OWN CO-SPONSOR NORINE HAMMOND, Illinois Rep. Joseph Lyons filed House Bill 4085, the Ultrasound Opportunity Act. HB 4085 dictates unnecessary requirements that take medical care away from the health professionals, and into the hands of politicians. HB 4085 requires that prior to performing an abortion physicians must offer to perform an ultrasound and allow the patient to view it, if the patient chooses to.

HB 4085 risks violating a patient’s privacy. HB 4085 would require data on the provision of ultrasounds to be submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There is no guarantee that patients’ confidential medical information will be excluded from the collection of data.

HB 4085 does not provide for funding for the cost of the collection of ultrasound data by Illinois Department of Public Health. In addition, there is absolutely no purpose for collecting this information.

HB 4085 will not improve the care of patients. All HB 4085 does is create more unnecessary regulation in an attempt to make getting an abortion more complicated and costly.

Illinois legislatures do not stop there. HB 4117 mandates that all faculties that perform 50 or more abortions in a year comply with Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Centers (ASTCs). Surgical abortions and medial abortions do not require surgical procedures but would have to comply with ASTCs guidelines regardless.

All facilities that perform abortions whether surgical or medication abortions would have to abide. HB 4117 singles out abortion as the only surgical procedure that MUST be performed under ASTCs guidelines. This law would force licensing requirements including a certificate of need, a public hearing, licensing fees, and inspection of building specifications. Most of these locations would have to make significant changes to comply with the ASCTs regulations. The changes are costly and facilities may not be able to afford them nor should they be forced to. Some ambiguous changes would include the widening of hallways and adding additional electrical outlets.

Abortion facilities are currently regulated through a variety of laws and rules. The current structure set up by the Illinois Department of Public Health is based on medical evidence that shows that a facility does not have to be a mini-hospital like an ASTCs in order to safely perform certain types of surgery.
HB 4085 and HB 4117 have nothing to do with the safety of patients, AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH the denial of reproductive freedoms. The objective is not only to deter women from receiving an abortion, but also shut down facilities and MAKING getting an abortion near impossible.

Please sign this petition and let the Illinois State Legislature know that we will not stand for these attacks any longer! Women deserve their autonomy and health-- no exceptions.