Bill to protect reproductive health care patients, providers heads to Guv’s desk
On the final full working day of the 2023 legislative session, the 2nd significant piece of reproductive and gender-affirming rights legislation handed the Dwelling by a 38-30 vote.
SB 13, sponsored by point out Sen. Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, now heads to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s desk.
The Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Well being Care Safety Act shields companies and clients from other states’ initiatives to subpoena for company or affected person data as portion of an investigation into reproductive or gender-affirming treatment where that action is not shielded. The invoice seeks to safeguard reproductive and gender-affirming care sufferers and vendors from civil or criminal legal responsibility and to safeguard reproductive healthcare providers from discrimination by qualified licensing boards.
SB 13 is 1 of two reproductive and gender-affirming rights bills released in this legislative session. The other invoice, the Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health care Act, prohibits community bodies from passing ordinances that would ban or set roadblocks in front of reproductive and gender-affirming health care. Lujan Grisham signed it into regulation on Thursday. She is envisioned to indicator SB 13 into law as effectively.
The bill codifies Lujan Grisham’s govt purchase that she created past summer inside of times of the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturning Roe v. Wade. If she signs SB 13 bill, it would assure that those people protections will carry on irrespective of who is governor.
The 3-hour discussion on the Dwelling ground centered all over other states’ rights as well problems all around free of charge speech and the ideal of spiritual companies to protest or deliver digital info about their disapproval of reproductive or gender-affirming treatment. Republican Condition Rep. Stefani Lord, of Sandia Park, questioned if SB 13 is intended to be “an abortion protect legislation?”
Point out Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, who presented the monthly bill on the Residence ground, stated “whatever you want to get in touch with it, of course, we affirmatively defend what’s legal right here and will keep on to be legal right here.”
“We’re a sovereign condition we make our possess guidelines. We’re talking about an overreach of jurisdiction in unchartered territory,” Romero claimed of other states attempting to criminalize or penalize abortion or gender-affirming treatment in other states.
Condition Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, asked if New Mexico would cooperate with a subpoena issued from a further point out relating to a licensed reproductive or gender-affirming treatment company.
Romero explained New Mexico would “not submit private info about that observe for another point out trying to get it.”
State Rep. Greg Nibert, R-Roswell, identified as the legislation a “carve out from our general notions of full religion and credit” to reply to legal orders from other states.
Romero claimed that reproductive and gender-affirming care is “being attacked in other states.”
State Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo, asked what are the “specific attacks on New Mexico that have long gone on that is producing this a priority?”
Romero explained other states, mostly Texas, are passing laws that criminalizes and lets civil penalties in opposition to reproductive and gender-affirming care providers and people looking for the treatment, as effectively as individuals who assist men and women looking for care. Romero claimed there have been additional than 400 items of anti-LGBTQ legislation launched this year, so far, and 15 states are restricting or contemplating limiting gender-affirming treatment obtain.
“That’s precisely why we require this legislation,” Romero claimed.
Point out Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, tried to argue that the laws impinges on the ideal to totally free speech. Romero disagreed.
“It is about non-public healthcare information. It is narrowly drafted in this legislation. We do not contact on cost-free speech, we’re safeguarding healthcare information,” Romero explained.
Montoya released two amendments to the invoice. The initially would have struck a area that he claimed would retain individuals or entities from legally protesting or sharing electronic details that is damaging in direction of a reproductive or gender-affirming service provider or clinic.
That modification never ever gained a vote. Home Speaker Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, reported Montoya was out of purchase and referred him to the procedures of the Home but did not elaborate.
The Home debated Montoya’s modification for several minutes just before he withdrew it and manufactured a 2nd attempt to amend the invoice by striking the term “entity,” since he explained the right of spiritual companies or people “to say unflattering things about treatments they uncover morally reprehensible” was remaining impacted.
Romero referred to as the amendment “very unfriendly” and claimed this amendment “would allow for for harassment.”
The debate on the amendment went over the a few-hour debate restrict on the Dwelling flooring, foremost to a disagreement among Montoya and Martinez above Montoya’s skill to make closing remarks. Martinez claimed the Property had closed debate, was over the a few-hour discussion restrict and that his time experienced operate out.
The Residence tabled the modification by 43-24 vote.