Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference
UPDATE to the Urgent Action May 4, 2025
Thank You to those who contacted their Representatives on HB 7213. The bill was successfully amended to remove the sections that would have deleted the abortion regulations in our state. This would not have been possible without your support. You were heard.
UPDATE
House Bill 7213 "AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE" was passed out of the House late yesterday with the harmful sections removed. The Conference wants to thank all the legislators who made this possible.
The remaining section of the bill deals with a minors access to contraceptives without parental notification. This has been the current practice in Connecticut and other states based on federal court rulings and provisions in the Title X family planning program. Additionally, it allows minors to receive pregnancy care without without parental notification. The lack of respect for parental rights was a concern related to this first section.
The Republicans in the House offered several amendments to the bill based on the contents of the remaining first section, but those were all strongly opposed by the Democrat majority. One of the amendments called for the notification of a parent prior to a minor receiving an abortion. Currently, minors can receive an abortion without any parental involvement.in Connecticut. A vast majority of states have parental notification laws. This was the first time such a proposal had a full debate and vote on the floor of the House.
The bill now moves onto the Senate for a vote. The Conference will continue to monitor the bill.
Conference's Official Statement on Passage of
HB 7213 – AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
Today, the House of Representative passed an amended version of HB 7213. The amended bill removed sections that would have eliminated existing regulations that: protect medical providers from being forced to be involved in an abortion if it was against their religious belief, mandating efforts be made to save a baby born alive after a failed abortion, allow third abortion trimester only when health of mother is threatened, and eliminate all reporting to the Department of Public Health. The regulations have been in place for almost 50 years. The Conference is very pleased with the removal of these sections. Unfortunately, efforts to amend the bill to require parental notification prior to a minor receiving an abortion failed.
“Legislators realized what the public supports - maintaining critical protections for young women, the unborn child and the religious freedom of medical providers. The efforts to remove these regulations were troubling and extreme,” said Chris Healy, Executive Director. “We are thankful common sense and decency prevailed. We are disappointed that the House failed to recognize parental rights when it came to the well-being of children by rejecting an amendment on parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion.”
House Bill 7213 "AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE" was passed out of the House late yesterday with the harmful sections removed. The Conference wants to thank all the legislators who made this possible.
The remaining section of the bill deals with a minors access to contraceptives without parental notification. This has been the current practice in Connecticut and other states based on federal court rulings and provisions in the Title X family planning program. Additionally, it allows minors to receive pregnancy care without without parental notification. The lack of respect for parental rights was a concern related to this first section.
The Republicans in the House offered several amendments to the bill based on the contents of the remaining first section, but those were all strongly opposed by the Democrat majority. One of the amendments called for the notification of a parent prior to a minor receiving an abortion. Currently, minors can receive an abortion without any parental involvement.in Connecticut. A vast majority of states have parental notification laws. This was the first time such a proposal had a full debate and vote on the floor of the House.
The bill now moves onto the Senate for a vote. The Conference will continue to monitor the bill.
Conference's Official Statement on Passage of
HB 7213 – AN ACT CONCERNING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
Today, the House of Representative passed an amended version of HB 7213. The amended bill removed sections that would have eliminated existing regulations that: protect medical providers from being forced to be involved in an abortion if it was against their religious belief, mandating efforts be made to save a baby born alive after a failed abortion, allow third abortion trimester only when health of mother is threatened, and eliminate all reporting to the Department of Public Health. The regulations have been in place for almost 50 years. The Conference is very pleased with the removal of these sections. Unfortunately, efforts to amend the bill to require parental notification prior to a minor receiving an abortion failed.
“Legislators realized what the public supports - maintaining critical protections for young women, the unborn child and the religious freedom of medical providers. The efforts to remove these regulations were troubling and extreme,” said Chris Healy, Executive Director. “We are thankful common sense and decency prevailed. We are disappointed that the House failed to recognize parental rights when it came to the well-being of children by rejecting an amendment on parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion.”
This proposed legislation is framed as a bill to protect health care providers who want to provide access to “reproductive health care services,” and a person's right to access “gender affirming health care services”. In reality, HB 5424 is solely aimed at Catholic hospitals in our state, which operate under ethical and moral guidelines against such services. This legislation reflects a national attack by advocates of abortion and transgender care on Catholic health care institutions across our country.
HB 5424 is an effort to weaken the oversight and control Catholic hospitals must maintain over their providers to ensure compliance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services (ERDs), under which all Catholic hospitals operate.
Read The Reality Behind HB 5424 An Attack on Catholic Health Care for more detailed information.
HB 5424 is an effort to weaken the oversight and control Catholic hospitals must maintain over their providers to ensure compliance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Services (ERDs), under which all Catholic hospitals operate.
Read The Reality Behind HB 5424 An Attack on Catholic Health Care for more detailed information.
