Members of the Virginia Legislature, I am writing to express my strong support for SB716 and HB519. These bills address an important issue concerning the protection of reproductive rights and the autonomy of healthcare professionals in Virginia. These bills are critical in the fair treatment of doctors providing abortion care, regardless of where the care is provided or received. It is my hope that we can recognize how abortion care is a fundamental aspect of reproductive healthcare. Doctors who provide such care should not face disciplinary action based only on the nature of their service. I am aware, and I hope you are too, of how crucial reproductive rights and access to comprehensive healthcare services is. I urge you to support SB716 and HB519 to protect the rights of healthcare professionals and uphold a patient’s choice to have access to a full spectrum of reproductive healthcare services. SB716 and HB519 support key elements of medical ethics and ensure that healthcare workers can provide inclusive and compassionate care to their patients without fear of punishment. Reproductive care is lawful. Medical care is a basic human right. Abortion is healthcare. Thank you for considering my testimony in support of these bills. Sincerely, Danielle

HB519 Unprofessional conduct; disciplinary action against doctor for providing abortion care, etc. The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports HB 519 which would prohibit the Board of Medicine from taking disciplinary action against a doctor based on the alleged provision or receipt of abortion care that is not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth, regardless of where such abortion care was provided or received. This bill clarifies current law to ensure that practitioners may provide abortion care permitted under Virginia law without fear of professional reprisal. We urge you to support this bill. HB609 Contraception; establishes right to obtain. The League of Women Voters of Virginia supports HB609 which would protect the right of individuals to receive contraceptives and the corresponding right of health care professionals to provide contraceptive care and information. Virginians strongly support reproductive freedom for individuals without government interference and this bill would protect that right. We urge you to vote yes.

Progress Virginia supports this bill. We cannot penalize medical providers for performing procedures that are legal in the Commonwealth; Virginia makes our own laws and we’re not beholden to the practices that other states may adopt.

Please vote YES on HB519. It's absurd that providing safe, effective, proven medical care should ever lead to professional censure, whether here in Virginia or other states. We're not responsible for other states' backward, anti-scientific cruelty, and Virginia doctors should be free to fulfill their Hippocratic oath and provide needed care in every circumstance without fearing for their careers.

In an attempt to be brief: HB519: Hope I'm reading the title of this incorrectly, but with the far-right extremists out there I fear I am not. ABORTION CARE IS A NECESSARY PART OF HEALTH CARE AND SHOULD NEVER, NEVER, NEVER *EVER* BE CONSIDERED "UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT." If you vote for this, I don't vote for you. HB609: Children do much better when they are wanted children. It is ridiculous to attempt to control the sexual behavior of others by restricting access to birth control ... or indeed even at all. Everyone has a right to affordable, safe, effective means of preventing unwanted pregnancy. HB858: I hope very sincerely to see a right to physician assisted euthanasia at the end of life enacted in this state. I am a practicing veterinarian and perform this every day. It is very sad that human beings should have to suffer and linger when there is no more hope at the end of life when we would never treat an animal in this manner. I have also lost my husband to brain cancer, and while I don't believe he would have chosen that option, I believe others should have this right and the means available.