HB 160-REPORTING OF ABORTIONS  REPRESENTATIVE JOHN COGHILL, sponsor of HB 160, explained that HB 160 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 160(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.