| Action | Regulations for Licensure of Abortion Facilities |
| Stage | Emergency/NOIRA |
| Comment Period | Ended on 2/15/2012 |
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The Family Foundation supports regulations on abortion centers that secure the safety of women. From the death of a woman in 2002 to the multiple accusations of negligence and malpractice against an abortion doctor in Virginia Beach to Dr. Steven Brigham, an abortion center owner in Virginia Beach and Fairfax who has had his practicing license suspended or revoked in multiple states and doesn’t even have a license to practice in Virginia, there is significant reason to be concerned about what is happening inside Virginia’s abortion centers.
Before the emergency regulations promulgated last year, abortion centers were treated as doctors’ offices in Virginia. There are no written standards for clinical safety at doctors’ offices, which means there are no standards for reporting, surveillance, or sanitation. Without these regulations, The Department of Health didn’t monitor the following: abortion center equipment, disciplinary problems, abortion complications, or the efficacy or expiration of drugs. The Board didn’t check credentials, require emergency equipment, verify cleanliness, nor required emergency procedures or training.
Providing for regular inspections, standards regarding medical personnel, sanitary conditions, and emergency equipment seem wholly reasonable to protect the health of women who make the unfortunate decision to have an abortion. The Family Foundation supports the Board of Health making permanent regulations for these centers that are strong and focused on protecting health and safety.