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.