04/15/2002 01:50 PM Senate HES

                  HB 160-REPORTING OF ABORTIONS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHN COGHILL, sponsor  of HB 160, explained that HB
  is straightforward  and requires  reporting  of abortions  in                                                              
Alaska. The bill  has been amended several times  and was improved                                                              
by  those amendments.  HB  160  asks  for mandatory  reporting  by                                                              
doctors  who perform  abortions in  Alaska within  30 days  of the                                                              
procedure to the Bureau of Vital  Statistics within the Department                                                              
of Health  and Social Services (DHSS).  HB 160 amends some  of the                                                              
statutes pertaining  to the  Bureau of  Vital Statistics  and asks                                                              
the  Bureau  to   prepare  an  annual  report   of  the  aggregate                                                              
information and destroy the records  so that information cannot be                                                              
traced back  to a  physician, patient,  facility or  municipality.                                                              
The report is  patterned after a report of induced  termination of                                                              
pregnancy  produced  by  the Center  for  Disease  Control  (CDC).                                                              
Sections 3-5 amend  places where the vital statistics  records are                                                              
held  and Section  6  differentiates  between  an abortion  and  a                                                              
miscarriage.  The bill contains  privacy provisions  so that  in a                                                              
state as  small as Alaska,  one cannot  go back to  a municipality                                                              
and make erroneous charges.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  told members that DHSS supports  the bill,                                                              
as does the  American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU),  which brought                                                              
forth some  of the language in  the privacy provisions.  He agreed                                                              
with  the ACLU  that  the privacy  provisions  were important.  He                                                              
maintained  that one  of the reasons  there is  support from  both                                                              
sides of  this issue is  that pro-choice opponents  and proponents                                                              
want  information   from  which  to  make  public   policy  calls.                                                              
Therefore, regardless  of what side of the abortion  debate one is                                                              
on, everyone will benefit from knowing what the facts are.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN asked  if Alaska furnishes no  information to the                                                              
CDC at this time.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL said that is correct.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DAVIS asked which version was before the committee.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRWOMAN GREEN stated Version L.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL  informed members  that the change  made by                                                              
the House Judiciary  Committee pertains to the  privacy provisions                                                              
on page  2, line 9.  He pointed out  the individual forms  will be                                                              
reported to the Division [of Public  Health], which will aggregate                                                              
the information and destroy the records.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KAREN PEARSON,  Director of  the Division  of Public  Health,                                                              
stated  support for  CSHB  160(JUD) and  thanked  the sponsor  for                                                              
being   so   responsive   to   the   division's   concerns   about                                                              
confidentiality and protecting the  identity of everyone involved.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
There  being  no  further  discussion,  SENATOR  WARD  moved  CSHB
(JUD)  and its accompanying  fiscal notes  from committee  with                                                              
individual recommendations.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRWOMAN  GREEN announced  that  with no  objection, the  motion                                                              
carried and acknowledged the presence of Senator Leman.