I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Destroying public safety equipment/emergency vehicles is detrimental to the ability to provide the most basic life-saving assistance. From May thru the late summer of 2020, our capital city had police cars set ablaze, windshields smashed, doors repeatedly kicked, firefighters and EMS providers interrupted with violence while in or around their vehicles. Damaging this equipment has nothing to do with free speech or the right to assemble. Placing this equipment out of service for repair, or declared a total loss, leaves our most vulnerable citizens without timely protection. This behavior is felonious when it is less than $1,000 and should be made a class 6 felony.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Comments Document

This written testimony expresses the Virginia State Firefighters Association support for HB 123, and provides insight to the risks and consequences that the bill is intended to prevent and deter.

Because EMS vehicles carry a number of very expensive medical equipment and drugs makes them prime targets for stealing and/or damaging EMS vehicles in order to gain access to steal these items. It does not matter how much damage is done in gaining access. The thief or perpetrator could very easily do $50,000.00 in damages and theft to an ambulance. Moreover, theft could occur to fire equipment by gaining access to compartments that carry small hand tools to large power tools that could bring a large price in the "hot" market for tools, etc. The need for a strong sentence for damage and theft from fire and EMS vehicles is needed to cut down on this. A major concern is the fact that during the course of a year it is not unheard of where an ambulance is stolen from the area of a hospital emergency department. The 3 agencies listed above ask that that this bill pass and the penalties be increased. Thank you.

Please move to report HB1356, HB212, HB304.

Good Morning. My name is Brenda Root and I am a resident of Reston, VA. Thank you for allowing me to share my concerns this morning. I am testifying today in opposition to HB 212 that “requires physicians and authorized nurse practitioners to follow certain procedures and processes to effect a pregnant person’s informed written consent prior to the performance of an abortion.” The proposed bill says that written consent must be “informed written consent” which specifies that State- produced materials be discussed with or given by the physician or nurse practitioner to the pregnant person seeking an abortion at least 24 hours prior to the procedure. An automatic waiting period of 24 hours is a built-in requirement of the informed written consent. Further, the bill states that informed written consent would guard against “undue inducement or any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, or other forms of constraint or coercion by the physician or authorized nurse practitioner.” So, the bill begins by accusing physicians and authorized nurse practitioners of cajoling people into having abortions. Nothing could be further from the truth. These health care workers are dedicated to their profession that respects life and supports pregnant people. They are not villains. And yet, this bill penalizes them if they do not give pregnant people seeking an abortion a set of materials to influence them to not have an abortion. They can be charged with a civil penalty of $2,500. HB 212 specifies the exact content of the information contained in the written or oral materials to be given the pregnant people seeking an abortion. The materials will provide a biased look supporting a decision to not have an abortion. There is no mention of what will happen to the pregnant person if they has a child. How will their life be changed? Who will be paying for medical care, child-care, food, shelter, and clothing? If in school, how will their education be disrupted? What about their life chances for economic security? Will they end up in poverty? I know of too many pregnant people from before abortion was legalized whose life chances were diminished. Pregnant people I knew who were forced by their parents to get married and then suffered the consequences of low income, substandard housing and low paying jobs. Further, the materials will depict realistic anatomical and physiological characteristics of the human fetus at two-week gestational increments from the beginning of pregnancy to full term including pictures or drawings of the dimensions of the fetus. The materials will also include details of abortion surgeries and possible physiological and psychological effects. Why include this visual in depth analysis but to manipulate and guilt a pregnant person into not going through with their abortion? It is harassment of the worst kind. It is psychological manipulation with potential detrimental effects for pregnant people. The decision to have an abortion is a hard one for most pregnant people. To add this type of required and legitimized harassment is potentially harmful and an insult to the decision-making capability of pregnant Virginians across the state. I ask you to vote No to HB 212 and protect pregnant Virginia people from political interference.

Good morning. My name is Elena Malkov, and I am a resident of Richmond, Virginia. My Delegate is Dawn Adams. I am testifying today in opposition of HB212, the Informed Consent/Biased Counseling Bill. Like most Virginians, I rely on my doctors to provide me with accurate medical information so I can make informed decisions about my health. The fact that HB212 will force doctors and nurse practitioners to lie to patients seeking medical care is unconscionable and sets a horrific precedent, allowing politicians to meddle with scientific facts. Forcing abortion providers to shame and manipulate pregnant people by reading a medically-inaccurate script is, quite simply, medical malpractice. The 24-hour waiting period proposed by this bill also places undue burden on individuals seeking access to a medical procedure. Pregnant Virginians deserve the right to receive accurate medical information and seek medical care in a timely manner. I urge you to support the rights of pregnant Virginians and oppose HB212. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My Delegate: Schuyler VanValkenburg Greetings. My name is Heather Massey and I’m a resident of Glen Allen (23060). Thank you for being accessible so I can share my thoughts with you about an important reproductive healthcare issue. I oppose HB 212, a bill that includes coercive tactics to gain “informed consent” from a pregnant person seeking an abortion. I’m especially concerned because this bill would require abortion providers to read a medically inaccurate script written by anti-abortion legislators to every pregnant person seeking an abortion. This script is intended to manipulate and shame a pregnant person into abandoning their abortion plan. Even worse, this bill also implements a 24-hour waiting period, a tactic that would place undue burdens on patients because they would experience a medically unnecessary delay in their healthcare. As someone who once had an abortion, I never had to endure such manipulation tactics, delays, or shaming. The experience was as routine as all my other healthcare procedures, an experience I appreciate and value to this day. Therefore, I want all Virginians to benefit from the same type of worry-free reproductive healthcare. We’ve made important progress on reproductive healthcare access and must continue it. I urge you to please oppose HB 212 to help Virginians like me. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

My name is Lindsey Paradiso and I am a resident of Fredericksburg, Virginia. I am testifying today in support of Restoring Dignity to Informed Consent (HB 212). I come to you not only as a concerned citizen, but also as a mother who had to make the single most difficult decision of my life to end a very wanted and planned pregnancy. Throughout our journey I needed to know that the advice and services I received from my doctors were guided by their medical expertise and not my politicians. Restoring Dignity to Informed Consent (HB 212) recognizes that each patient needs to be able to trust her doctor in providing her with timely care, free from judgement and stigma. Virginia law currently requires physicians to communicate biased information about abortion to their patients, perform unnecessary diagnostic testing, and delay care for 24 hours against their patient’s wishes. These laws violate the basic tenants of informed consent, and delay a woman’s ability to access safe, legal abortion care by requiring multiple trips to a clinic for no other reason than to show the state’s disapproval of a woman’s personal, constitutionally protected medical decision. While there were health related risks and issues involved in our decision to terminate, we were still making a very difficult choice. I couldn’t imagine having to make that choice under scrutiny by care providers who seem judgmental or doubtful toward my ability to make choices for myself and in the interest of my family. In conclusion, I urge you to please support this bill, HB 212. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I needed an abortion in late 2017, when my contraception failed and I decided I wanted to better myself and my life before planning a family. I went through the 24 hour waiting period, the forced vaginal ultrasound, and the so-called “informed consent” nonsense that was designed to guilt trip me out of making the choice that was right for me. I was hurt and angry to know that none of those were even medically necessary, they were measures passed by an anti-woman legislature that thought they had the right to insert themselves between my doctor and I. I am afraid that with the new governorship and the people in the Supreme Court who do not support women’s right to choose, women in Virginia will yet again face unnecessary barriers in accessing the healthcare they deserve. This interferes with the trusted doctor-patient relationship. People should decide for themselves whether they want an abortion in consultation with their doctor or nurse practitioner and without any interference from politicians. This bill is insulting to medical providers and patients. It is also insulting that these people in positions of power think they know what’s best for every pregnant person’s situation. I am grateful that I was able to have a safe and legal abortion, and my life has improved in so many ways because of it. I urge you to vote no on HB212.

Reinstatement of TRAP laws does nothing to make anyone safer but rather hinders our rights to bodily autonomy. Ironic coming from the party evoking the same argument to end Covid-19 masking guidelines.

I write in opposition to HB212 and encourage you to vote against this bill. This bill is harmful to many Virginians, and takes away their autonomy to make the decision that is best for them and their families. Plain and simple, this is an oppressive bill that seeks to take away the bodily autonomy of pregnant people and their futures. This bill will only deepen abortion stigma in our communities and medical decisions must be left between each person and their health care provider, without politicians meddling in the exam room.

--- HB1274 This bill sits in direct opposition to the constitutional rights granted to all citizens under Roe v. Wade and decades of proceeding legal precedent. Any bans on abortion, no matter the week, deny Virginians their fundamental right to control their own body and healthcare decisions. Abortion is essential healthcare, and the choice of wether or not to carry a pregnacy to term should be made by a person and their doctor, not politicians. --- HB212 This bill only serves to further stigmatize abortion in the Commonwealth. While we should be prioritizing the improvement of medical care across Virginia, sponsors of this bill seek to make accessing safe and non-judgemental care more difficult. Nobody seeks out medical advice from politicians because politicians are not medical professionals. Decisions about pregnancy and abortion should be left to the healthcare provider and the patient. --- HB983 These proposed restrictions on abortion are medically unnecessary. They are political tools introduced by the Republican party in order to make accessing abortion and exercising the fundamental right to bodily autonomy more difficult. They will disproportionately harm vulnerable Virginians – those without reliable transportation, those with low incomes, and those residing in rural areas. Because of interlocking systems of white supremacy, this means this bill will disproportionately harm people of color. In a state like Virginia, we should be actively working to dismantle vestiges of white supremacy, not proposing legislation that exacerbates it. Moreover, no other medical procedure – not even heart or brain surgery – is treated with the same degree of political intrusion. It is yet another iteration of the Republican attacks on reproductive choice and a direct obstacle to reproductive justice in the Commonwealth. --- HB304 To be honest, I’m not even sure why this bill was proposed in the first place – doctors are already obligated to provide appropriate medical care. Suggesting otherwise is dangerous and morally wrong. The fact of the matter is that this bill is not based in science, medicine, or fact. The term “born alive” was made up not by the medical community, but by extremist Republican politicians seeking to stigmatize and mythologize what happens during an abortion. It is pure political theater meant to stoke fear and bully patients and providers. These lies cause conservative extremists to attack clinics and providers – as has been the case for decades. It’s simultaneously sad and laughable that these delegates would waste the General Assembly’s precious and short time with this nonsense. Stop driving an inaccurate and false narrative and get back to what really matters. Signed, Noah from Charlottesville

Please keep choices available for women to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

Please reject these regressive anti-abortion bills. Adequate legislation already exists. These efforts seek to undermine Constitutionally protected rights for women. Women only hold 30% of the seats in the Virginia General Assembly. I think it's messed up to have a governmental body dominated by men making laws that effect women's health and rights. I feel certain if men were the ones who got pregnant such legislation would not seriously be considered. Thank you for your time and I look forward to you representing my views in the General Assembly. Respectfully, Silver Persinger

I oppose these draconian bills that harm and penalize pregnant people. These bills pretend to care about health but have no basis in medical care and will set this state back decades.

In favor of these bills as they protect the life of innocent human life.

I oppose this bill. I urge you to vote no. Respect a persons right to medically accurate information and the right to choose an abortion.

Abortion is fundamental healthcare, a reproductive right and a human right. We should be subjecting people undergoing this procedure to any unnecessary trauma just like you wouldn’t do with any other medical procedure. In many cases, abortions can be live saving, both literally and in terms of future mental health and financial outcomes. In addition, with many Virginians not having insurance available to them, the requirement of an ultrasound to get an abortion is prohibitive for many, especially in addition to the cost of getting an abortion. There is no science to show that 20 weeks is the point of “life” and this is entirely based in neo-Christian theology. Because of the separation of Church and State, I believe this anti-abortion bills not only violate the rights of people with uteruses but also the Constitution. Please keep abortion access available and equitable in the Commonwealth.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony today. My name is Amanda Reames Pittelli and I am a Women’s Healthcare Nurse Practitioner. I serve as Director of Clinical Services for Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. (PPMW), providing care to patients across Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland’s Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. For 10 years, I have been honored with the trust of patients seeking a broad spectrum of health care, including abortion. PPMW has been proud to provide high quality, comprehensive reproductive health care for over 80 years on the principle that everyone deserves equal access to health services. We commit to caring for our patients – your constituents – by providing contraceptives, tests for sexually transmitted infections, and lifesaving cancer screenings such as breast exams, as well as gender-affirming care, primary care, and abortion. I testify today against HB212. This bill is dangerous legislation that would interfere in the patient-provider relationship. Reproductive decisions are some of the most important life decisions we make, and as a nurse practitioner who has spent my professional life caring for people during their reproductive years, I’ve witnessed just how important these decisions can be. The complexity of people’s lives and health require that these personal decisions be made by the individual with the support of their health care provider — free from political interference. HB212 would reinstate a biased requirement that would interfere with the provider-patient relationship when patients seek abortion. Abortion is a safe and legal medical procedure. The clear goal of this legislation is to deter and confuse patients from accessing essential health care and to take away people’s power over their own bodies, their lives, and their futures. This bill puts politicians in the middle of private medical decisions that should be left to each patient and their medical provider. None of us turn to politicians for advice about breast exams, prenatal care, or cancer treatments. Politicians should not be involved in personal medical decisions about pregnancy. As an experienced clinician in the field, I can say from a decade of first hand experience that rather than improving patient care, this bill would serve to shame and stigmatize people for getting an abortion and only make it harder to access safe, legal abortion. Every person deserves to access the care they need throughout a pregnancy. This legislation is a gross over reach into personal reproductive health decisions and should be rejected. Thank you.

Good Morning. My name is Brenda Root and I am a resident of Reston, VA. Thank you for allowing me to share my concerns this morning. I am testifying today in opposition to HB 212 that “requires physicians and authorized nurse practitioners to follow certain procedures and processes to effect a pregnant person’s informed written consent prior to the performance of an abortion.” The proposed bill says that written consent must be “informed written consent” which specifies that State- produced materials be discussed with or given by the physician or nurse practitioner to the pregnant person seeking an abortion at least 24 hours prior to the procedure. An automatic waiting period of 24 hours is a built-in requirement of the informed written consent. Further, the bill states that informed written consent would guard against “undue inducement or any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, or other forms of constraint or coercion by the physician or authorized nurse practitioner.” So, the bill begins by accusing physicians and authorized nurse practitioners of cajoling people into having abortions. Nothing could be further from the truth. These health care workers are dedicated to their profession that respects life and supports pregnant people. They are not villains. And yet, this bill penalizes them if they do not give pregnant people seeking an abortion a set of materials to influence them to not have an abortion. They can be charged with a civil penalty of $2,500. HB 212 specifies the exact content of the information contained in the written or oral materials to be given the pregnant people seeking an abortion. The materials will provide a biased look supporting a decision to not have an abortion. There is no mention of what will happen to the pregnant person if they has a child. How will their life be changed? Who will be paying for medical care, child-care, food, shelter, and clothing? If in school, how will their education be disrupted? What about their life chances for economic security? Will they end up in poverty? I know of too many pregnant people from before abortion was legalized whose life chances were diminished. Pregnant people I knew who were forced by their parents to get married and then suffered the consequences of low income, substandard housing and low paying jobs. Further, the materials will depict realistic anatomical and physiological characteristics of the human fetus at two-week gestational increments from the beginning of pregnancy to full term including pictures or drawings of the dimensions of the fetus. The materials will also include details of abortion surgeries and possible physiological and psychological effects. Why include this visual in depth analysis but to manipulate and guilt a pregnant person into not going through with their abortion? It is harassment of the worst kind. It is psychological manipulation with potential detrimental effects for pregnant people. The decision to have an abortion is a hard one for most pregnant people. To add this type of required and legitimized harassment is potentially harmful and an insult to the decision-making capability of pregnant Virginians across the state. I ask you to vote No to HB 212 and protect pregnant Virginia people from political interference. Thank you, Brenda Root, Ph.D.

The script for this "counseling" is full of medical inaccuracies. This is a barely-concealed attempt to scare or guilt an emotionally and physically vulnerable person into a forced birth.

Dear Delegates Greenhalgh and Frietas: Women as I’m sure you are well aware, have only begun to have the right to speak out and use their voices as important members of society since the 1960’s, when it was still taboo for them to be anything but a housewife. We were and by the introduction of these bills clearly still are looked at as second to the heterosexual white male persuasion who thinks it’s proper to make decisions for us regarding how we should live our lives and even what we should do with our own bodies. I’m quite certain if a bill was introduced that would limit access to the health and well being of your sex organs, you’d be screaming from the rooftops. Please don’t limit mine as a woman and please stop telling me what to do with my body, because it is ultimately my choice!

Please move to report HB104, 212 & 304 for the lives of children and 775 so that no other Gov. shuts down our freedom of religion.

Good morning. My name is Elena Malkov, and I am a resident of Richmond, Virginia. My Delegate is Dawn Adams. I am testifying today in opposition of HB212, the Informed Consent/Biased Counseling Bill. Like most Virginians, I rely on my doctors to provide me with accurate medical information so I can make informed decisions about my health. The fact that HB212 will force doctors and nurse practitioners to lie to patients seeking medical care is unconscionable and sets a horrific precedent, allowing politicians to meddle with scientific facts. Forcing abortion providers to shame and manipulate pregnant people by reading a medically-inaccurate script is, quite simply, medical malpractice. The 24-hour waiting period proposed by this bill also places undue burden on individuals seeking access to a medical procedure. Pregnant Virginians deserve the right to receive accurate medical information and seek medical care in a timely manner. I urge you to support the rights of pregnant Virginians and oppose HB212. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My Delegate: Schuyler VanValkenburg Greetings. My name is Heather Massey and I’m a resident of Glen Allen (23060). Thank you for being accessible so I can share my thoughts with you about an important reproductive healthcare issue. I oppose HB 212, a bill that includes coercive tactics to gain “informed consent” from a pregnant person seeking an abortion. I’m especially concerned because this bill would require abortion providers to read a medically inaccurate script written by anti-abortion legislators to every pregnant person seeking an abortion. This script is intended to manipulate and shame a pregnant person into abandoning their abortion plan. Even worse, this bill also implements a 24-hour waiting period, a tactic that would place undue burdens on patients because they would experience a medically unnecessary delay in their healthcare. As someone who once had an abortion, I never had to endure such manipulation tactics, delays, or shaming. The experience was as routine as all my other healthcare procedures, an experience I appreciate and value to this day. Therefore, I want all Virginians to benefit from the same type of worry-free reproductive healthcare. We’ve made important progress on reproductive healthcare access and must continue it. I urge you to please oppose HB 212 to help Virginians like me. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

My name is Lindsey Paradiso and I am a resident of Fredericksburg, Virginia. I am testifying today in support of Restoring Dignity to Informed Consent (HB 212). I come to you not only as a concerned citizen, but also as a mother who had to make the single most difficult decision of my life to end a very wanted and planned pregnancy. Throughout our journey I needed to know that the advice and services I received from my doctors were guided by their medical expertise and not my politicians. Restoring Dignity to Informed Consent (HB 212) recognizes that each patient needs to be able to trust her doctor in providing her with timely care, free from judgement and stigma. Virginia law currently requires physicians to communicate biased information about abortion to their patients, perform unnecessary diagnostic testing, and delay care for 24 hours against their patient’s wishes. These laws violate the basic tenants of informed consent, and delay a woman’s ability to access safe, legal abortion care by requiring multiple trips to a clinic for no other reason than to show the state’s disapproval of a woman’s personal, constitutionally protected medical decision. While there were health related risks and issues involved in our decision to terminate, we were still making a very difficult choice. I couldn’t imagine having to make that choice under scrutiny by care providers who seem judgmental or doubtful toward my ability to make choices for myself and in the interest of my family. In conclusion, I urge you to please support this bill, HB 212. Thank you for your time and consideration.

I needed an abortion in late 2017, when my contraception failed and I decided I wanted to better myself and my life before planning a family. I went through the 24 hour waiting period, the forced vaginal ultrasound, and the so-called “informed consent” nonsense that was designed to guilt trip me out of making the choice that was right for me. I was hurt and angry to know that none of those were even medically necessary, they were measures passed by an anti-woman legislature that thought they had the right to insert themselves between my doctor and I. I am afraid that with the new governorship and the people in the Supreme Court who do not support women’s right to choose, women in Virginia will yet again face unnecessary barriers in accessing the healthcare they deserve. This interferes with the trusted doctor-patient relationship. People should decide for themselves whether they want an abortion in consultation with their doctor or nurse practitioner and without any interference from politicians. This bill is insulting to medical providers and patients. It is also insulting that these people in positions of power think they know what’s best for every pregnant person’s situation. I am grateful that I was able to have a safe and legal abortion, and my life has improved in so many ways because of it. I urge you to vote no on HB212.

Both of these bills impact Virginians who are seeking abortion care. HB 212 interferes with the sacred provider-patient relationship. HB 304 is a vehiclecfor anti-abortion politicians to push misinformation, stoke fear, and bully patients and providers — with the ultimate goal of banning abortion.

Please move to report HB1356, HB212, HB304.

Good morning. My name is Elena Malkov, and I am a resident of Richmond, Virginia. My Delegate is Dawn Adams. I am testifying today in opposition of HB304. This bill opens the door for political interference into family decisions by putting unnecessary restrictions on physicians. Virginia doctors already have the responsibility to provide appropriate medical care, and it is offensive and dishonest to claim otherwise. Abortion access is a fundamental human right, and I am so proud that Virginia has taken steps to protect the rights of pregnant people in the Commonwealth. It is also very important that we protect physicians providing necessary healthcare to Virginians seeking abortions or palliative care for newborns. We do not need the government meddling in the very personal and often difficult healthcare choices families must sometimes make, and we certainly do not need bills trying to punish doctors who are caring for these families. I urge you to support the rights of pregnant Virginians and their medical providers by opposing HB304. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My Delegate: Schuyler VanValkenburg Greetings. My name is Heather Massey and I’m a resident of Glen Allen. I’m writing to share my thoughts with you about an important legislative issue that has strong personal relevance. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I went into premature labor. A valiant medical team provided a successful intervention, but the situation posed the possibility of my daughter being born prematurely. The last thing I would have needed or wanted was outside interference in any life-or-death medical choices I might have had to make. That is why today, I oppose HB304. The HB304 bill is deceptive and based on false claims because doctors already have the responsibility to provide appropriate medical care to their pediatric patients. Families who must initiate palliative care for their infant who, tragically, will not survive for long suffer enough heartbreak without having to deal with interference from political actors about their very personal reproductive and pediatric healthcare decisions. Advocates and legislators alike have made important progress regarding access to reproductive healthcare and we need to keep up the momentum. This is especially important given that the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities. Marginalized Virginians already face numerous obstacles to reproductive healthcare—criminalization of those who are pregnant or suffer miscarriages should never be one of them. Therefore, I urge you to please oppose HB304. Thank you for your time and consideration of this crucial matter.

Good Afternoon. My name is Brenda Root and I am a resident of Reston, VA. Thank you for allowing me to share my concerns this morning. I am testifying today in opposition to HB304. The two bills have the same title: Abortion; born alive human infant, treatment and care, penalty. These bills “require every physician licensed by the Board of Medicine who attempts to terminate a pregnancy to exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of a human infant who has been born alive.” If the infant dies, the attending physician may be charged with a Class 4 felony and may lose his medical license. Further, the hospital will be held responsible for reporting said attending physician for criminal investigation and possible prosecution. In all my many years of interacting with medical professionals; doctors and nurses, nurse practitioners, and advanced practice clinicians, I have never encountered a person who did not take their responsibility for keeping patients alive very seriously. Age is irrelevant. From infants to the elderly, the deep concern and commitment to appropriate treatment is evident. To suggest otherwise and set forth the idea that politicians should oversee a physician’s treatment of newborn infants is offensive to physicians and their patients. To think politicians instead of the Board of Medicine is dictating treatment reeks of state interference where it doesn’t belong. In addition, a newborn infant already has rights. Any intentional action to end the life of an infant is already illegal. Policies like HB304 open the door for politicians to interfere with family decisions about palliative care for an infant who will not survive long and to potentially criminalize the actions of the attending physician or clinician. It is heartbreaking enough for parents to lose a child. Any one of us knows of friends or family members who have dealt with these difficult times. It should be noted that facilities like hospitals are not all the same in Virginia. Quality reproductive health care is not equally distributed throughout the state. For some, it takes 5 minutes to receive care; for others, it is hours away. Hospitals and clinics have been closing in parts of the state. To assume a Virginia pregnant people can easily obtain reproductive health care, especially if something goes wrong with her pregnancy or delivery, is to overlook the fact of unequal access geographically, as well as economically, to a specialist or well-equipped hospital. And yet, if that infant dies, politicians want to penalize the physicians. Reproductive health care is vitally important to all Virginians. We need policies to protect and support pregnant people and their Health care providers. We need policies to protect and support the decisions that are made and the treatment received without State oversight and control. This is a private relationship that should be respected and not criminalized. Thank you for listening to my opposition to HB304. It is up to you to vote NO and protect the Reproductive Health Care Workers of Virginia.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

I write in opposition to HB304 and encourage you to vote against this bill. This bill is harmful to many Virginians, and takes away their autonomy to make the decision that is best for them and their families. These bills are completely unnecessary. Doctors are already obligated to provide appropriate medical care. To suggest otherwise is false, offensive, and dangerous. In several states, governors have rejected this type of bill for what it is – another attempt to eliminate access to abortion. In 2019, governors in North Carolina, Montana, and Wisconsin vetoed similar bills. Instead of respecting every person’s decision and acknowledging the complexities of medical care, anti-abortion politicians are again resorting to inflammatory rhetoric to distract from their true agenda – to push abortion care out of reach and punish patients and their health care providers.

--- HB1274 This bill sits in direct opposition to the constitutional rights granted to all citizens under Roe v. Wade and decades of proceeding legal precedent. Any bans on abortion, no matter the week, deny Virginians their fundamental right to control their own body and healthcare decisions. Abortion is essential healthcare, and the choice of wether or not to carry a pregnacy to term should be made by a person and their doctor, not politicians. --- HB212 This bill only serves to further stigmatize abortion in the Commonwealth. While we should be prioritizing the improvement of medical care across Virginia, sponsors of this bill seek to make accessing safe and non-judgemental care more difficult. Nobody seeks out medical advice from politicians because politicians are not medical professionals. Decisions about pregnancy and abortion should be left to the healthcare provider and the patient. --- HB983 These proposed restrictions on abortion are medically unnecessary. They are political tools introduced by the Republican party in order to make accessing abortion and exercising the fundamental right to bodily autonomy more difficult. They will disproportionately harm vulnerable Virginians – those without reliable transportation, those with low incomes, and those residing in rural areas. Because of interlocking systems of white supremacy, this means this bill will disproportionately harm people of color. In a state like Virginia, we should be actively working to dismantle vestiges of white supremacy, not proposing legislation that exacerbates it. Moreover, no other medical procedure – not even heart or brain surgery – is treated with the same degree of political intrusion. It is yet another iteration of the Republican attacks on reproductive choice and a direct obstacle to reproductive justice in the Commonwealth. --- HB304 To be honest, I’m not even sure why this bill was proposed in the first place – doctors are already obligated to provide appropriate medical care. Suggesting otherwise is dangerous and morally wrong. The fact of the matter is that this bill is not based in science, medicine, or fact. The term “born alive” was made up not by the medical community, but by extremist Republican politicians seeking to stigmatize and mythologize what happens during an abortion. It is pure political theater meant to stoke fear and bully patients and providers. These lies cause conservative extremists to attack clinics and providers – as has been the case for decades. It’s simultaneously sad and laughable that these delegates would waste the General Assembly’s precious and short time with this nonsense. Stop driving an inaccurate and false narrative and get back to what really matters. Signed, Noah from Charlottesville

Please keep choices available for women to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

Please reject these regressive anti-abortion bills. Adequate legislation already exists. These efforts seek to undermine Constitutionally protected rights for women. Women only hold 30% of the seats in the Virginia General Assembly. I think it's messed up to have a governmental body dominated by men making laws that effect women's health and rights. I feel certain if men were the ones who got pregnant such legislation would not seriously be considered. Thank you for your time and I look forward to you representing my views in the General Assembly. Respectfully, Silver Persinger

I oppose these draconian bills that harm and penalize pregnant people. These bills pretend to care about health but have no basis in medical care and will set this state back decades.

In favor of these bills as they protect the life of innocent human life.

Abortion is fundamental healthcare, a reproductive right and a human right. We should be subjecting people undergoing this procedure to any unnecessary trauma just like you wouldn’t do with any other medical procedure. In many cases, abortions can be live saving, both literally and in terms of future mental health and financial outcomes. In addition, with many Virginians not having insurance available to them, the requirement of an ultrasound to get an abortion is prohibitive for many, especially in addition to the cost of getting an abortion. There is no science to show that 20 weeks is the point of “life” and this is entirely based in neo-Christian theology. Because of the separation of Church and State, I believe this anti-abortion bills not only violate the rights of people with uteruses but also the Constitution. Please keep abortion access available and equitable in the Commonwealth.

You are clearly trying to penalize doctors who provide abortion services in a roundabout manner, thereby limiting the number of abortion providers. This decision should be between the doctor and the person receiving the abortion.

Dear Delegates Greenhalgh and Frietas: Women as I’m sure you are well aware, have only begun to have the right to speak out and use their voices as important members of society since the 1960’s, when it was still taboo for them to be anything but a housewife. We were and by the introduction of these bills clearly still are looked at as second to the heterosexual white male persuasion who thinks it’s proper to make decisions for us regarding how we should live our lives and even what we should do with our own bodies. I’m quite certain if a bill was introduced that would limit access to the health and well being of your sex organs, you’d be screaming from the rooftops. Please don’t limit mine as a woman and please stop telling me what to do with my body, because it is ultimately my choice!

Comments Document

Robin Sertell is a survivor of multiple abortion attempts and serves as the Education Coordinator for the Abortion Survivors Network and helps abortion survivors find help, hope and healing through education and community.

Please move to report HB104, 212 & 304 for the lives of children and 775 so that no other Gov. shuts down our freedom of religion.

Good morning. My name is Elena Malkov, and I am a resident of Richmond, Virginia. My Delegate is Dawn Adams. I am testifying today in opposition of HB304. This bill opens the door for political interference into family decisions by putting unnecessary restrictions on physicians. Virginia doctors already have the responsibility to provide appropriate medical care, and it is offensive and dishonest to claim otherwise. Abortion access is a fundamental human right, and I am so proud that Virginia has taken steps to protect the rights of pregnant people in the Commonwealth. It is also very important that we protect physicians providing necessary healthcare to Virginians seeking abortions or palliative care for newborns. We do not need the government meddling in the very personal and often difficult healthcare choices families must sometimes make, and we certainly do not need bills trying to punish doctors who are caring for these families. I urge you to support the rights of pregnant Virginians and their medical providers by opposing HB304. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My Delegate: Schuyler VanValkenburg Greetings. My name is Heather Massey and I’m a resident of Glen Allen. I’m writing to share my thoughts with you about an important legislative issue that has strong personal relevance. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I went into premature labor. A valiant medical team provided a successful intervention, but the situation posed the possibility of my daughter being born prematurely. The last thing I would have needed or wanted was outside interference in any life-or-death medical choices I might have had to make. That is why today, I oppose HB304. The HB304 bill is deceptive and based on false claims because doctors already have the responsibility to provide appropriate medical care to their pediatric patients. Families who must initiate palliative care for their infant who, tragically, will not survive for long suffer enough heartbreak without having to deal with interference from political actors about their very personal reproductive and pediatric healthcare decisions. Advocates and legislators alike have made important progress regarding access to reproductive healthcare and we need to keep up the momentum. This is especially important given that the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequities. Marginalized Virginians already face numerous obstacles to reproductive healthcare—criminalization of those who are pregnant or suffer miscarriages should never be one of them. Therefore, I urge you to please oppose HB304. Thank you for your time and consideration of this crucial matter.

Good Afternoon. My name is B. Root and I am a resident of Reston, VA. Thank you for allowing me to share my concerns this morning. I am testifying today in opposition to HB304. The two bills have the same title: Abortion; born alive human infant, treatment and care, penalty. These bills “require every physician licensed by the Board of Medicine who attempts to terminate a pregnancy to exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of a human infant who has been born alive.” If the infant dies, the attending physician may be charged with a Class 4 felony and may lose his medical license. Further, the hospital will be held responsible for reporting said attending physician for criminal investigation and possible prosecution. In all my many years of interacting with medical professionals; doctors and nurses, nurse practitioners, and advanced practice clinicians, I have never encountered a person who did not take their responsibility for keeping patients alive very seriously. Age is irrelevant. From infants to the elderly, the deep concern and commitment to appropriate treatment is evident. To suggest otherwise and set forth the idea that politicians should oversee a physician’s treatment of newborn infants is offensive to physicians and their patients. To think politicians instead of the Board of Medicine is dictating treatment reeks of state interference where it doesn’t belong. In addition, a newborn infant already has rights. Any intentional action to end the life of an infant is already illegal. Policies like HB304 open the door for politicians to interfere with family decisions about palliative care for an infant who will not survive long and to potentially criminalize the actions of the attending physician or clinician. It is heartbreaking enough for parents to lose a child. Any one of us knows of friends or family members who have dealt with these difficult times. It should be noted that facilities like hospitals are not all the same in Virginia. Quality reproductive health care is not equally distributed throughout the state. For some, it takes 5 minutes to receive care; for others, it is hours away. Hospitals and clinics have been closing in parts of the state. To assume a Virginia pregnant people can easily obtain reproductive health care, especially if something goes wrong with her pregnancy or delivery, is to overlook the fact of unequal access geographically, as well as economically, to a specialist or well-equipped hospital. And yet, if that infant dies, politicians want to penalize the physicians. Reproductive health care is vitally important to all Virginians. We need policies to protect and support pregnant people and their Health care providers. We need policies to protect and support the decisions that are made and the treatment received without State oversight and control. This is a private relationship that should be respected and not criminalized. Thank you for listening to my opposition to HB304. It is up to you to vote NO and protect the Reproductive Health Care Workers of Virginia. Thank you,

Both of these bills impact Virginians who are seeking abortion care. HB 212 interferes with the sacred provider-patient relationship. HB 304 is a vehiclecfor anti-abortion politicians to push misinformation, stoke fear, and bully patients and providers — with the ultimate goal of banning abortion.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Comments Document

I apologize, I'm not sure if the correct file was attached to my previous submission. Just in case, I've attached here.

Comments Document

Please see the attached written testimony.

The definition of "intimate parts" should clarify that it is not a chest of a child which is intimate, rather it is the breast area of a FEMALE child under the age of 15. The chest of a MALE child under the age of 15 is not an intimate. A female child wearing a bikini exposes most of her chest, yet the exposed chest area is not intimate.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Please see the attached written testimony.

Have you tried Roll On – 200mg from JUSTCBD?

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Stop with the lies!

No! Stop with the lies! Cannibas is much safer than alcohol and pharmaceuticals!! Let the average person be free with a plant! Stop holding the little guy back....just stop.

On behalf of The Arc of Virginia's membership and board, we support HB496 and thank the patron for bringing forward. Words matter. This change in code from "incapacitated" to "vulnerable" adult, is not just an excersize in being sensitive, it is about ensuring that people with disabilities are respected and valued as members of our communities. Our choice of words reflect our thoughts, and I think our words also INFLUENCE our thoughts and beliefs. So The Arc of VA supports this postive step in affirming the value of every person. Thank you, Tonya Milling

House Bills 660 and 736 These bills are supported and are less limiting for law enforcement when serving search warrants. Unless certain elements exist under the present law, the fruits of criminal behavior are safely kept by offenders. There should not be "time out" zones for perpetrators to harbor guns, drugs and paraphernalia.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Regarding HB 736 and HB 660, the VACP supports amendments to the current search warrant bill regarding the hours when search warrants are permissible. We are not calling for a wholesale repeal of the current statute, but are urging consideration to change the service hours to 6 am-10 pm. This change would bring the state's search warrant statute in alignment with Federal guidelines for when search warrants may be served without a judge or magistrate's approval. The Federal rule is listed below for reference. The impact of the current statute is creating operational challenges regarding the investigation of certain types of crimes such as Internet Crimes Against Children. Legal issues have also recently surfaced regarding the conflict for local and state detectives serving on federal task forces when warrants are executed. An extension of the hours is also in line with when the majority of people are still awake but would provide law enforcement more flexibility in conducting effective investigations and serving warrants when they deem it is safer to do so. Federal Rule 41. Search and Seizure (2) Definitions. The following definitions apply under this rule: (A) “Property” includes documents, books, papers, any other tangible objects, and information. (B) “Daytime” means the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. according to local time. (C) “Federal law enforcement officer” means a government agent (other than an attorney for the government) who is engaged in enforcing the criminal laws and is within any category of officers authorized by the Attorney General to request a search warrant.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Dear House of Delegates Courts of Justice - Subcommittee #1 Members, I would like to request that you support HB 713 (Keam) today. I have already provided personal testimony to each of your email addresses in regard to my own experience with Coercive Control and Family Abuse, but I also wanted to make a few other points as to why this bill is such important legislation that needs to be passed. Coercive control is an act of domestic violence. It is well-known in domestic violence advocacy groups that physically abusive intimate partners first engage in coercive control tactics to gain control over their victims before engaging in physical harm or strangulation. Current Virginia Code is reactive to physical domestic violence and this bill could provide a way to be proactive in preventing physical violence or homicide. Holding abusers accountable for their treatment of their victims before they are able to commit acts of physical violence could help save many lives. The majority of female homicides are caused by perpetrators of domestic violence. Most perpetrators of domestic violence have a pattern of behavior of repeatedly treating their intimate partners abusively. Providing protections from a partner who is committing coercively controlling tactics would give a victim some time and space to find a way to get back on their feet and to start healing as being in this situation often leaves victims in a mental fog for a while as they adjust to their new life. Being allowed to continue contacting, threatening, harassing, and trying to control a victim after the relationship has ended will continue without measures being put into place to stop these behaviors. Nobody deserves to be treated in this manner. This bill will save lives and it is necessary to vote in support of it. Thank you for your time.

House Bills 660 and 736 These bills are supported and are less limiting for law enforcement when serving search warrants. Unless certain elements exist under the present law, the fruits of criminal behavior are safely kept by offenders. There should not be "time out" zones for perpetrators to harbor guns, drugs and paraphernalia.

Regarding HB 736 and HB 660, the VACP supports amendments to the current search warrant bill regarding the hours when search warrants are permissible. We are not calling for a wholesale repeal of the current statute, but are urging consideration to change the service hours to 6 am-10 pm. This change would bring the state's search warrant statute in alignment with Federal guidelines for when search warrants may be served without a judge or magistrate's approval. The Federal rule is listed below for reference. The impact of the current statute is creating operational challenges regarding the investigation of certain types of crimes such as Internet Crimes Against Children. Legal issues have also recently surfaced regarding the conflict for local and state detectives serving on federal task forces when warrants are executed. An extension of the hours is also in line with when the majority of people are still awake but would provide law enforcement more flexibility in conducting effective investigations and serving warrants when they deem it is safer to do so. Federal Rule 41. Search and Seizure (2) Definitions. The following definitions apply under this rule: (A) “Property” includes documents, books, papers, any other tangible objects, and information. (B) “Daytime” means the hours between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. according to local time. (C) “Federal law enforcement officer” means a government agent (other than an attorney for the government) who is engaged in enforcing the criminal laws and is within any category of officers authorized by the Attorney General to request a search warrant.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

My Delegate: Schuyler Van Valkenburg Greetings. My name is Heather Massey and I’m a resident of Glen Allen. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you about an important legislative issue. As a Virginia resident who strongly believes that healthcare is a personal matter and who has benefited from decades of access to legal, unrestrictive reproductive healthcare, I’m writing in opposition to HB744. I oppose this bill because of its intrusive and destructive nature: not only would it be used to control pregnant people and people who have miscarriages, it would criminalize them as well. I’m a person with a uterus who needed to terminate a pregnancy at a young age because I was too poor to properly raise a child. Having access to a full range of reproductive healthcare was a major factor in my ability to prepare for a time later in life when I eventually acquired the full resources I needed to raise a child without having to constantly worry about having enough money. I value having had that kind of safety net because it gave me control over my own life every step of the way. Everyone with a uterus in this state is entitled to the same control and choices I had. It’s crucial that we protect the progress Virginia has made on reproductive healthcare access and I appreciate the excellent work you’ve done so far as my Delegate. This progress is especially important for the most marginalized of Virginians, all of whom deserve access to a full range of reproductive healthcare that doesn’t impinge in any way on their personal rights. Therefore, I urge you to please oppose HB744. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Good morning. My name is Elena Malkov, and I am a resident of Richmond, Virginia. My Senator is Ghazala Hashmi. My Delegate is Dawn Adams. I am testifying today in opposition of HB744. Threatening abortion providers with a voluntary manslaughter charge is a horrific way to prevent Virginians from accessing basic healthcare in a safe manner. Criminalizing abortion will not prevent the procedure from being done, but it will increase the number of unsafe, illegal abortions. The Virginia government should not interfere with the right of its citizens to receive the medical care they need. I urge you to support the rights of pregnant Virginians and their medical providers by opposing HB744.

I do not support any bills that criminalize folks

Comments Document

The ACLU of Virginia strongly opposes House Bill 744 (HB744) because of the potential for criminalizing personal, private reproductive healthcare choices and adding charges for accidents when someone does not know an individual is pregnant with little to no benefit to public safety. We are deeply concerned with the implications this bill would have for a pregnant person’s ability to choose reproductive care that best fits their needs. Such limitations may infringe upon an individual’s constitutional right to privacy, equal protection, and due process. For example, many parents and pregnant people prefer to hire midwives to deliver their baby in the comfort of their homes. However, under this bill, a midwife would be charged with manslaughter if a woman gives birth at home with the midwife contrary to a doctor’s order – regardless of the circumstances. Every person who becomes pregnant struggles through mounds of information, social pressure and judgment, including medical advice from multiple and occasionally dissenting providers, in a sincere effort to make sound choices about their pregnancy. Thus, HB 744 potentially criminalizes them for decisions made in good faith or make it harder for them to seek the reproductive healthcare that fits their needs. It is a tragedy anytime a pregnant person loses a pregnancy due to the criminal actions of another. But our legal system already punishes that person for their crimes. A pregnant person in Virginia already has recourse that respects their agency and autonomy. Virginia Code § 8.01-50(B) provides for a civil tort action against a tortfeasor who causes a fetal death, as defined in § 32.1-249, by his wrongful act, neglect, or default. The physical and psychological injuries ultimately fall on the person losing a pregnancy, not on the fetus. The current law is sufficient in holding the wrongdoer accountable without potentially infringing on the pregnant person’s rights as proposed in HB 744. The bill also conflicts with a fundamental principle of criminal law, which holds that knowledge of the underlying fact that renders one's act subject to penalty is essential to conviction. Yet, under this bill, a person could be held criminally responsible for the death of a fetus even if the person did not know, and had no reason to know, that the person was pregnant. It is for these reasons we oppose HB 744 and urge you to vote “no.”

Please keep choices available for women to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

Are you going to get to hazing bill? It seems to have been passed over ???

I AM WIDELY KNOWN AS AN EXPERT IN THE WORLD OF HAZING. I MYSELF WAS A FRATERNITY MEMBER IN COLLEGE. I WAS HAZED AND HAZED OTHERS. I AM NOW A FILMMAKER AND RECENTLY DIRECTED A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT A HAZING INCIDENT IN WHICH UNFORTUNATELY A BOY DIED, JUST LIKE ADAM OAKES DID IN VIRGINIA. I ALSO RECENTLY FINISHED DIRECTING A 6 PART TV SERIES WITH CBS & SEE IT NOW STUDIOS ABOUT HAZING AS WELL. I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THESE FRATERNITIES ALL TOO WELL FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS I HAVE DEDICATED MY LIFE TO TRY TO RAISE AWARENESS AND REFORM THE GREEK SYSTEM HAZING IS NOT AN ACCICENT HAZING IS PRE-MEDITATED HAZING NEEDS A CLEAR DEFINITION HAZING NEEDS TO BE A FELONY THE # 1 REASON WHY WE HAVE SEEN AN UP TICK IN HAZING RELATED DEATHS IS BECAUSE THERE IS A LACK OF CLARITY OF WHAT HAZING IS AND THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THESE ACTIVITIES I FULLY SUPPORT THIS BILL AND URGE YOU TO PASS THIS SO NO ONE ELSE NEEDS TO ENDURE THE PAIN THAT THE OAKES FAMILY AND SO MANY OTHERS HAVE ENDURED THANK YOU

I would like to speak at the hearing. I am an expert in the field of hazing and have interesting information and insight as to why this bill is essential to the safety of our children

Hazing is an extremely serious crime and I am urging you to pass HB993. I am a filmmaker and considered an expert in the filed of hazing (I have directed a documentary film and a TV series on the subject). I have been studying this area full time for 5 years now and it is increasingly becoming more out of control. We need laws to protect our kids! Adam Oakes died in your state because of senseless acts and a lack of laws to prevent crimes like this!! You can help make sure this does not happen to anyone else. Please start by passing HB993 and let's create more transparency and accountability across the board. Thank you

I urge you to vote yes to HB 993 and make hazing a felony in the state of Virginia.

Please move to report HB1356, HB212, HB304.