Morning-After Pill Bill [Passed]

[Sam Spade]

Morning-After Pill Bill

1. Any regulations requiring a prescription to obtain emergency contraception are hereby repealed.
2. Any restriction on the basis of age on the availabity of emergency contraception is repealed.
3. All hospitals will be required to dispense emergency contraception to fertile, female victims of rape regardless of the religious affiliation of the hospital or medical care provider.
4. Clause 3 shall not be construed as to mean that any rape victim or any other person will be required to use emergency contraception.

(Sponsor: Ebowed)

[Sam Spade]

bumping for more discussion...

This, of course, will be another piece of legislation to which I will challenge its constitutionality.

[Sam Spade]

I motion for an amendment to strike Clause 3 of this legislation.

[Sam Spade]

Clarified.

I motion for an amendment to strike Clause 3 and Clause 4 of this legislation.

[Sam Spade]

For the record, I do support the bill as it currently stands, though I am curious about Senator Spade's constitutionally-based objections.

I always keep my objections close to the chest, unless I think they are obvious to any neutral-based observer (e.g. not opebo).

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following amendment.

I motion for an amendment to strike Clause 3 and Clause 4 of this legislation.

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Aye.

[Sam Spade]

I motion for an amendment to add a new section (5) to this bill with the following language:

5.  The Federal Government shall fund $5 million to the Department of Health to study the health effects of the morning-after pill over time on women who have used the morning-after pill more than once during their lifetime.

[Sam Spade]

I have moved the spending on the amendment down to $5 million.  Moreover, I have added the word "health" in front of the word "effects".  I have also indicated that the studies should be of women who have used the morning-after pill more than once.

If the purpose of this bill is to basically encourage prevalent use of the morning-after pill, we should ensure that the morning-after pill does not have any adverse side effects that crop up over time which the drug companies or the FDA are unaware of presently, as has happened with numerous drugs in the past. 

Passing this legislation, which allows the morning-after pill to be sold over-the-counter without any restrictions of age, will certainly make use of the morning-after pill rather common in society, as the few people on this forum who have ever had sex with a woman using a condom would testify to.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following amendment:

I motion for an amendment to add a new section (5) to this bill with the following language:

5.  The Federal Government shall fund $5 million to the Department of Health to study the health effects of the morning-after pill over time on women who have used the morning-after pill more than once during their lifetime.

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Aye.

[Sam Spade]

With 7 votes in favor and 3 not voting, the motion for cloture has passed.

I will bring the legislation to final vote in a moment.

[Sam Spade]

We are now voting on the following legislation:

Morning-After Pill Bill

1. Any regulations requiring a prescription to obtain emergency contraception are hereby repealed.
2. Any restriction on the basis of age on the availabity of emergency contraception is repealed.
3. All hospitals will be required to dispense emergency contraception to fertile, female victims of rape regardless of the religious affiliation of the hospital or medical care provider.
4. Clause 3 shall not be construed as to mean that any rape victim or any other person will be required to use emergency contraception.

Please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.


Nay.

[Sam Spade]

This legislation has enough votes to pass.  Senators shall have 24 hours to change their votes.