New Hampshire Bill Prohibiting Abortion Funding (HB 677)

HB 677 would strip all state and federal public funds to any costs, services or utilities for abortions, abortion referrals and abortion counseling.  The bill seeks to ensure that all public funds are not used to subsidize abortions directly or indirectly.  This includes ensuring that no federal family planning funds be appropriated or dispersed to individuals, organizations, entities, or affiliates of those that perform, induce, refer for, or counsel on behalf of elective abortions.

Comprehensive Prohibition on the Use of Public Funds*

• No public funds made available to any institution, board, commission, department, agency, official, or employee of the state of New Hampshire would be used in any way for, to assist in, or to provide facilities, for an abortion or for training to perform an abortion.
• The law would make it unlawful for individuals employed by the state to perform or assist an abortion.
• No fund or committees authorized by law for special protection of women or children would be authorized to use or distribute public funds for the use of abortion services.
• No organization that receives funds from the state shall use those funds to perform or promote abortion services.

Use of Public Facilities Prohibited*

• It would be unlawful for any public institution, facility, equipment, or other physical asset owned, leased or controlled by the state to be used for the purpose of performing or assisting an abortion.
• It would be unlawful for any public institution or facility to lease or sell its facilities or property or permit the subleasing of its facilities or property to any physician or health facility for use in the provision or performance of an abortion.

*Except when the life of the mother is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, or when the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest.

In addition, HB 677 would restrict research grants by prohibiting public funds to be used for research involving abortion, human cloning, or prohibited human research.

Public school-based health clinics would not be able to provide the following:

• Provision or performance of an abortion.
• Counseling in favor of an abortion.
• Dispensing drugs classified as “emergency contraception” by the federal FDA.

HB 677 would also restrict federal or public funds to be used for legal services by private agencies seeking to advocate for abortion rights or provide legal assistance for litigation seeking to procure funds for abortion services.

Similar to HB 228, which was introduced in 2011 and 2012, but ultimately failed.

STATUS

House voted inexpedient to legislate (2/18/2015).

People