Posts Tagged: trap laws
Alabama’s SB 205: a New Spin on TRAP Laws?
As of 2014, Alabama has five abortion clinics. Today, the House Health Committee is having a public hearing on Senate Bill 205, which could force clinics to relocate or ultimately shut down, further decreasing our already limited access to abortion providers. SB 205 would prohibit the renewal of licenses for abortion clinics within 2,000 feet of a school—the same distance required of sex offenders. Not only does this distance and the association with sex crimes make obtaining an abortion seem like an illicit act—Senator Paul Sanford, who proposed the bill, even stated that if they can limit a pedophile’s proximity to a school, they should be able to do the same with the clinics—but it also comes across like yet another law imposed in the hopes of shutting down clinics… Read more »
It’s a TRAP!
Every year, hundreds of abortion restrictions are proposed in the United States. The most popular forms of laws include mandatory counseling at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours before the abortion, banning the use of telemedicine for medication abortion, requiring providers to perform an ultrasound, and limiting public funding for the procedure. Personhood laws are also being introduced at alarming rates, as state legislators attempt to undo the progress Roe v. Wade. There are other laws, far more sneaky, that slip through frequently because they are disguised as laws that protect women’s medical safety. These are known as TRAP laws: Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers. According to an article in the LA Times, “Unlike personhood initiatives, TRAP laws are designed to fly under the radar, by mimicking ordinary health regulations.” These laws are… Read more »
