Comments Document

Attached is testimony against HB 1488.

As a concerned citizen, I strongly oppose HB1488. Denying agencies the ability to contract with or grant funds to entities that provide essential healthcare services such as abortion not only limits access to care but also violates the right to reproductive autonomy. The repeal of provisions for coverage of abortions in cases of rape or incest and in cases where the fetus may be born with a physical or mental deformity is cruel and inhumane. This bill does not reflect the values of a compassionate society that prioritizes access to safe and affordable healthcare for all individuals, regardless of their income or circumstances.

Dear Delegate McGuire, Thank you for taking the time to read my comment. I am asking you to reconsider and stop the promotion of HB 1488 because it is incredibly harmful to all pregnant women, who deserve to have affordable access to vital health services. Most people who receive abortions do so out of sheer necessity, with the number one cause being a lack of financial resources and stability to care for a child. According to the New Yorker, 49% percent of women who received abortions in 2014 were below the federal poverty line. Banning abortion would only make poverty worse, which in turn increases a reliance on state welfare, and subsequently hurts the economy. Women often have to leave the workforce for a few years after giving birth to care for a child, which puts them at a substantial disadvantage than those who are able to access abortion services. Taking away public funding for abortion would make it nearly impossible for pregnant individuals who are already struggling financially to access abortion services and raising a child would only put them further into debt. To raise a child costs $17,000 a year, according to the USDA, but that number is much higher due to recent inflation and shortages in baby necessities, like infant formula. I know first hand that medical procedures are crazy expensive in this country, and for someone without health insurance, the debt can be crippling. I am asking you again to please rethink and reject HB 1488 because it is damaging to pregnant individuals in Virginia, especially those on the lower-socioeconomic level of the economy.

Please support HB1999 and HJ519 which establish the fundamental rights to contraception and reproductive freedom. This Bill and Constitutional Amendment will enshrine vital and necessary healthcare rights for women without fear of governmental intervention or criminal consequences. Please table HB1488 and HB2270, two pieces of legislation designed to intimidate facilities and patients seeking legal abortions. Thank you.

A born child, regardless of his or her birth circumstances, should be treated with the dignity of human life. A child born black has dignity. A child born poor has dignity. A child born with a disability has dignity. A child born with medical issues has dignity. A child born alive has dignity.

Please look up mayo clinic illustration of what a 14 week old baby looks like. Consider this same baby at 9 months. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/fetal-development/art-20046151 Please vote yes to protect these children born alive. I will follow up with my representatives regarding this HB1795 bill's past travels and progress.

Delegate Freitas' comments during the subcommittee, about those who oppose HB1795, were unprofessional. The inflammatory and accusatory statements was wrong on so many levels. If Delegate Freitas cared about ALL infants and women, he would make sure that his bill addressed special circumstances. Such as, infants who cannot sustain life due to severe physical anomalies. Instead, this bill does NOT address that at all. Infants who cannot sustain life will go through needless pain and suffering if medical personnel are required to "preserve the life and health of a human infant..." How can someone propose a bill and say you are protecting a life when in my case and many others, you are prolonging the inevitable? Please let the medical staff and hospitals do what they are already doing. Taking care of their patients, giving them the best and most appropriate care for their situation. Stop criminalizing the law abiding medical professionals. I oppose HB1795.

My informal surveying of Virginians on this subject reveals absolute disbelief that Virginia Law currently allows violation of equal protection and Hippocratic law, as written. Without change, licensure by the Board of Medicine for midwives and hospitals that must collaborate as appropriate means little when abortion facilities can leave children to suffer on the operating table with impunity. This bill would actually help facilities earn a good reputation and re-equate every medical center in our Commonwealth with sustaining as many lives as possible.

Please pass this bill as soon as possible. v/r, Mr. Calimano

Please vote to save the lives of babies who survive abortion. These babies are human beings, who cannot speak for themselves and so are considered by some to be disposable. But in truth these babies have have as much right to life as any other human being, every other American citizen. Without the right to life there is no right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Please consider babies who have been born and survived an attempted abortion. These babies are born just like other babies with the only exception that their health care team may decide to nurture the newborn’s life, or attempt to end it due to gross negligence, and abandonment. As a nurse, my thoughts and motivations are to help others and uphold the responsibilities of my license. The titles “Health Care Provider” and “Health Care Professional” within itself, lead with the word “health”. Please don’t allow theses titles to become meaningless and veer off course of the good they are responsible to uphold in Virginia. Licensed doctors have made an oath to do no harm and The American Nurse Association (ANA) states “Nurses have a duty to care for patients and are not at liberty to abandon them”. Please give these babies the chance to be cared for.

Please understand that this bill is not about access to abortion. Rather, it is about the kind of people that we are and the kind of state we want to live in. The children who will be protected by this bill will all born to mothers who had access to abortion and who chose abortion. This law will not penalize them in any way. The issue here is basic decency and our common humanity which compel us to provide medical support for the injured. This is more important than movement rhetoric or abortionists' fears of being sued for wrongful birth. Rejection of this bill is too extreme for Virginia. Virginians expect better!

It is a matter of common sense and basic human decency to require, that any health care practitioner present when a child is born alive following an abortion give the same degree of care to preserve the life and health of the child as would be given to any other newborn. It is appalling and beyond comprehension. As we have witnessed our society, disrespecting life is the cause of all what is happening in this country, if we do not respect life as the foundation of our society, life from womb to tomb, our state of Virginia and the United States of America will end in decay.

Unfortunately, the reality is that abortion attempts happen "unsuccessfully" and the child comes out of the womb alive. The Abortion Survivors Network is a growing coalition of people who come into the world that very way. Requiring the same level of care to babies who survive an abortion attempt just as any other pre-mature baby is NOT a controversial thing- everyone can agree on this. HB1795 is a reasonable bill which ensures that a child surviving an abortion is not left to die. Please SUPPORT.

On behalf of REPRO Rising Virginia, we oppose HB1795.

I strongly oppose HB1795. This bill is based on medically baseless and unscientific claims about the possibility of a "born alive" infant from an abortion procedure. The reality is that such incidents are incredibly rare and already illegal under existing laws. This bill is a politically motivated attempt to restrict access to safe and legal abortion care and criminalize healthcare providers who perform a medical procedure that is protected by the constitution. The requirement of immediate transfer to a hospital and the threat of a Class 4 felony and disciplinary action are excessive and aim to intimidate healthcare providers and create obstacles to accessing essential healthcare services. Access to safe and legal abortion is a fundamental right and this bill infringes on that right by criminalizing medical professionals who provide compassionate care.

Every human life has value and a baby that survives an abortion should receive life saving medical care.

Comments Document

In support of HB 1795, please find attached written testimony. As the survivor of three failed saline infusion abortions, I fully support this bill. Every baby who is born deserves to be reported and cared for. Thank you, Robin Sertell

I would like for you to hear me please. I was molested at the age of 5 years old, because my mother wanted her drugs amd men more than me. I was 10 years when I started using drugs and alcohol. By 11 I was told by my grandmother where my mom was so I Hitch hike from. CHICAGO to Cleveland to find her. I dropped out of school in the 6th grade the streets taught me how to read and write. The state trooper picked me up and did a APB for my mom. When found she told them that's not my child you can do whatever you want with her. Now I'm homeless, on drugs amd my parents doesn't want me. I remember being in that bathroom when a GROWN man forced me on my knees and said to me " You're not a little girl anymore you are a grown woman. For 2 weeks in that apartment all the men had their way with me. Now I was being sexually exploited. For 31 years I lived this way. I walked around with 8 pairs of socks because I never had any shoes. My childhood was taken away from me. I can never get that back. There are so many young kids out there who can be saved save them. As of August 6th 2010 which is my date of Grace 2019 I got my High school diploma, graduated college with my associates degree in social work in 2022, I am a publisher author of 31 Years in the Desert, many accomplishments. I will never be able to have children physically this is another reason I stand and not be silent. After 31 Years of hell I walk with my head held high. Something needs to be done to the sex traffickers, not the victims. Why should we be punished with felony records, can't get housing in a neighborhood like you live in. I had to pay double rent because I had prostitution charges. Where is the justice? I hope whoever reads this finds it in their hearts to make the right decisions moving forward. Thank you Castanita Fitzpatrick A Butterfly Gets Her Wings Back LLC. 214.535.3034 abutterflygetsherwings@gmail.com

Please support HB1999 and HJ519, which aim to accomplish contraceptive equity and establish the right to choose in the state of Virginia, respectively. Reproductive healthcare is healthcare and it should be accessible to everyone who needs it; People should be able to access both of these resources without fear of government interference and prosecution. Supporting this bill and constitutional amendment will ultimately bring Virginians one step closer to reproductive justice. I ask you again to please support HB1999 and HJ519 for the reasons outlined. Thank you for your time.

Please support HB1999 and HJ519 which establish the fundamental rights to contraception and reproductive freedom. This Bill and Constitutional Amendment will enshrine vital and necessary healthcare rights for women without fear of governmental intervention or criminal consequences. Please table HB1488 and HB2270, two pieces of legislation designed to intimidate facilities and patients seeking legal abortions. Thank you.

For 10 years I was married to a man who knew how to walk the line and "play the game" in the court system. I married him before finding out that he is a felon in VA and MD and by then I was on a mission to "save him" anyway. As these stories often go, the domestic abuse in the home went from bad to worse. We were living in Fairfax, had 2 small children, and I was the only one with stable income. I'd overcome the chaos in my home and worked my way up to an impressive position at my job in Tyson's Corner. Driving to work each morning my thoughts were focused on that job and the critical role it played in our livelihood. Other people driving to work might be thinking about the weather or what they were going to have for lunch that day -- but my mornings were often filled with threats from my husband. Threats that he was planning to come to my job and "cause a scene" so I would get fired or "show [my boss] who's REALLY in charge" -- you get the point. For years this was my life. The "grand finale" occurred after we moved to Charlottesville. I was working for the same company and had evicted him from my home. I was in a meeting and received a text from his mother that I needed to leave work because he was on his way to my office, with a gun, to shoot me. Because of prior threats I knew that I needed to email HR and include a photo of him so they could lock all doors and inform the 400 people in my office to not let him in. Obviously this was humiliating, but mostly it was TERRIFYING. This entire time he had time hanging over his head due to a larceny conviction. This bill doesn't speak to threats at all -- however I say with absolute confidence that abusers manipulate the system and THEY KNOW where the line is. This law wouldn't eliminate the threats. It gives a layer of protection to those being threatened. My ex-husband wouldn't dare pick up another felony - his pride and wish to gain custody back would prevent that. This law would have allowed me to concentrate on my job and feel safe.

I would like for you to hear me please. I was molested at the age of 5 years old, because my mother wanted her drugs amd men more than me. I was 10 years when I started using drugs and alcohol. By 11 I was told by my grandmother where my mom was so I Hitch hike from. CHICAGO to Cleveland to find her. I dropped out of school in the 6th grade the streets taught me how to read and write. The state trooper picked me up and did a APB for my mom. When found she told them that's not my child you can do whatever you want with her. Now I'm homeless, on drugs amd my parents doesn't want me. I remember being in that bathroom when a GROWN man forced me on my knees and said to me " You're not a little girl anymore you are a grown woman. For 2 weeks in that apartment all the men had their way with me. Now I was being sexually exploited. For 31 years I lived this way. I walked around with 8 pairs of socks because I never had any shoes. My childhood was taken away from me. I can never get that back. There are so many young kids out there who can be saved save them. As of August 6th 2010 which is my date of Grace 2019 I got my High school diploma, graduated college with my associates degree in social work in 2022, I am a publisher author of 31 Years in the Desert, many accomplishments. I will never be able to have children physically this is another reason I stand and not be silent. After 31 Years of hell I walk with my head held high. Something needs to be done to the sex traffickers, not the victims. Why should we be punished with felony records, can't get housing in a neighborhood like you live in. I had to pay double rent because I had prostitution charges. Where is the justice? I hope whoever reads this finds it in their hearts to make the right decisions moving forward. Thank you Castanita Fitzpatrick A Butterfly Gets Her Wings Back LLC. 214.535.3034 abutterflygetsherwings@gmail.com

Comments Document

Attached is testimony against HB 2270.

Please vote against HB 2270. This bill to restore written informed consent before an individual receives an abortion is unnecessary, biased, and misleading. Abortion is an incredibly safe procedure and this bill adds an unnecessary additional step to receiving this critical care. The American Medical Society and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists already declare that it is the moral and ethical duty of the provider to obtain voluntary informed consent from the patient. The goal of this bill is to pressure individuals to not seek an abortion and therefore further risks the health of the individual. Please do not support HB 2270.

Please support HB1999 and HJ519 which establish the fundamental rights to contraception and reproductive freedom. This Bill and Constitutional Amendment will enshrine vital and necessary healthcare rights for women without fear of governmental intervention or criminal consequences. Please table HB1488 and HB2270, two pieces of legislation designed to intimidate facilities and patients seeking legal abortions. Thank you.

The ACLU of Virginia strongly opposes HB2270, a bill to reinstate written informed consent. This legislation as an unnecessary regulation on abortion providers designed to limit access to abortions. This bill does not make patients any safer, and instead constitutes a burdensome obstruction to medically necessary care. A law forcing patients to receive materials containing irrelevant, misleading and false information 24 hours before receiving an abortion is not out of concern of the pregnant person, but to coerce them to not seek care. Such intent and impact could jeopardize the health of the pregnant person. In addition to creating a barrier to healthcare, the bill is duplicative as providers are already legally required (See VA Code § 18.2-76) to obtain their patient's written informed consent before an abortion may be performed. It is for these reasons the ACLU-VA opposes HB2270 and urge you to oppose the bill.

Why not consider the statutory option of a civil stay of an MOT court order, per an amended HB2434? This might be on the recommendation of expert testimony given by the court ordered evaluator, referred by the criminal judge upon acquittal, to the civil side for disposition by a special justice or district judge for direct MOT or "step-down" MOT in the community. The option of a civil stay of an MOT order would exist in district court or in a specialty court by a district judge or a special justice in a licensed facility or alternative site on a voluntary basis for a presumed legally competent SMI/DD/ID/Autism Spectrum respondent found not guilty due to lack of criminal intent (Mens Rea) at the time of the criminal offense (Actus Reus) but found to be in need of outpatient services in the community to avoid a foreseeable risk of future substantial deterioration. This option could be recommended in testimony at the criminal hearing by an expert evaluator (forensic clinical psychologist or board certified psychiatrist with a forensic specialty) as an option for the court prior to a verdict as not meeting ECO/TDO commitment criteria but who poses a foreseeable risk due to a past criminal act (Actus Reus).related to the individual's mental condition. Invoking a statutory stay of a civil MOT order would allow the individual and his or her chosen supporters under medical supervision and with oversight by a special justice or judge in specialty "problem solving" courts in the community to provide needed mental health services and CSB case management support similar to what is being done in CARE Courts in California. As in California CARE Courts, this provides an opportunity to use supported decision making or shared decision making as a case management model to facilitate a Virginia Advance Directive with Ulysses Clause with inpatient and outpatient crisis plans to intervene in the event of early prodromal signs and symptoms of substantial mental deterioration and loss of decisional capacity in the foreseeable future. Invoking a voluntary civil stay of an MOT order, as in CARE Courts, is similar to "preventative AOT" in a number of other states, such as New York, that allow this kind of civil judicial disposition. This "voluntary" community based treatment option might satisfactorily address Senator McClelland's reservations about the "involuntary" nature of an MOT order for Autism Spectrum, SMI, and other special needs "at risk" populations under SB1510 yesterday. Such an approach might help to salvage SB1510/HB2434 (indefinitely passed by yesterday in the Senate) , particularly if approved and recommended by an Interbranch Judicial Advisory Task Force, recommended by the National Judicial Task Force (10/2022), and sanctioned by the Executive Office of the Virginia Supreme Court working closely in concert with the Behavioral Health and Crime Commissions in a further study of diversion models, such as E EDCOT and CARE Courts.

I would like for you to hear me please. I was molested at the age of 5 years old, because my mother wanted her drugs amd men more than me. I was 10 years when I started using drugs and alcohol. By 11 I was told by my grandmother where my mom was so I Hitch hike from. CHICAGO to Cleveland to find her. I dropped out of school in the 6th grade the streets taught me how to read and write. The state trooper picked me up and did a APB for my mom. When found she told them that's not my child you can do whatever you want with her. Now I'm homeless, on drugs amd my parents doesn't want me. I remember being in that bathroom when a GROWN man forced me on my knees and said to me " You're not a little girl anymore you are a grown woman. For 2 weeks in that apartment all the men had their way with me. Now I was being sexually exploited. For 31 years I lived this way. I walked around with 8 pairs of socks because I never had any shoes. My childhood was taken away from me. I can never get that back. There are so many young kids out there who can be saved save them. As of August 6th 2010 which is my date of Grace 2019 I got my High school diploma, graduated college with my associates degree in social work in 2022, I am a publisher author of 31 Years in the Desert, many accomplishments. I will never be able to have children physically this is another reason I stand and not be silent. After 31 Years of hell I walk with my head held high. Something needs to be done to the sex traffickers, not the victims. Why should we be punished with felony records, can't get housing in a neighborhood like you live in. I had to pay double rent because I had prostitution charges. Where is the justice? I hope whoever reads this finds it in their hearts to make the right decisions moving forward. Thank you Castanita Fitzpatrick A Butterfly Gets Her Wings Back LLC. 214.535.3034 abutterflygetsherwings@gmail.com

Bell HB2434 (Orders for involuntary outpatient evaluations & services; evidence of defendant's mental condition found not guilty due to diminished capacity to form criminal intent) is in my professional opinion as an independent forensic examiner a good example of contemporary lawmaking meeting the crisis needs of our time. A few states courageously allow for court ordered evaluation of these cases with diversion directly from the criminal courts to mandated civil court dockets in the community. Virginia may soon be one of them. This judicial disposition is reserved for individuals found "not guilty" by virtue of "diminished capacity" to form criminal intent (Mens Rea) but who may be in need of ongoing evaluation and services in the community because of the risk posed by the criminal nature of the act itself (Actus Reus). Usually court-ordered services involve direct or "step-down" Assisted Outpatient Treatment or AOT (in Virginia it’s called Mandated Outpatient Treatment of MOT). Most MOT civil dockets are reserved for individuals who pose no immediate or foreseeable risk of harm to the community or to themselves following discharge after an inpatient psychiatric stay. HB2434 allows, however, for disposition in cases of "diminished capacity" that might arise where the defense attorney for an individual charged with a serious criminal offense, including a violent offense, might offer a "diminished capacity" defense for his client. Such cases are likely to be rare in Virginia. They are typically based at least in part on expert testimony by a forensic expert, such as-a licensed forensic clinical psychologist or psychiatrist with a forensic specialty area, and this may lead to a verdict of acquittal. In such cases there may be experts providing testimony for the prosecution and for the defense. This is similar to NGRI cases with expert evaluation in the criminal courts. However, in acquittal cases by virtue of diminished capacity, the individual may be, and often is, released directly back into the community. Depending on the circumstances, an Emergency Commitment Order (ECO) may be issued under current Virginia law for individuals meeting commitment criteria considered at the time of acquittal to be at risk "in the near future" to harm self or others. On the other hand, if such an individual does not meet ECO criteria at the time of acquittal, he or she might pose a future risk for "mental deterioration" and therefore be in need of further court-ordered evaluation and services in the community deemed to be of a preventative nature. This form of AOT or MOT is termed "Preventative AOT or MOT". As an independent examiner for the Virginia Supreme court who regularly performs risk assessment in civil commitment courts, I believe that it is time for Virginia to consider expanding its legal "dangerousness" standard in civil commitment law to encompass the broader standard of "future risk for mental deterioration" based in part on the individual's past history of serious mental illness and known acts of past dangerousness. I applaud HB2434 as a step in the right direction in seeking a necessary compromise between the treatment needs of the individual with serious mental disease or disorder and the safety of the community.

Shawn Loescher- Chesapeake, VA Everyone should have access to the full range of reproductive healthcare, including abortion. This amendment is crucial to protecting the right for all Virginians to make decisions about all matters related to pregnancy without discrimination. As a retired veteran I support this amendment because it gives Virginians the freedom to make their own decisions about their health, economic security, and future, not the government. It establishes the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including abortion care, without interference. It would also establish the right to make decisions about all matters related to pregnancy without discrimination. In addition it protects against the criminalization of pregnancy status and outcomes and protects against the punishment of providers and those assisting standard reproductive healthcare. Thank you for your time. I urge you to vote yes to HJ 519!

Sara Hutchinson Ratcliffe- Barboursville, VA I’m here in support of HJ 519, to enact an Amendment to the Virginia Constitution to ensure protection for reproductive freedom for every individual in the Commonwealth. Last June, 50 years of federal protection for our most personal and intimate decisions was eroded by the SCOTUS Dobbs’ decision. It is now more important than ever before that every state to encode into law, protection for each individual’s right to decide our own fate, defend our individual bodily autonomy, and shield decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and abortion from political interference. This legislation would begin the process of encoding that protection into the VA Constitution at the benefit of every citizen and visitor to the Commonwealth. As women, we manage our reproductive fertility as a matter of our daily health and welfare, for 30-40 years. The idea that our decisions about when, whether, and how to have children would be determined by anyone other than ourselves, and those we invite into those decisions, is cruel and unjust. It is fitting and fair that this body should ensure that our Commonwealth is a place where those decisions are not subject to the dictates of those politicians who might like to decide our fates. Polls show that 77% of all Virginia voters believe decisions about pregnancy should be made by women, not politicians. I am one of those voters and therefore implore you to pass this bill helping to continue the Commonwealth of Virginia’s leadership for reproductive freedom for all. I ask you to vote for HJ 519! Thank you!

Marian Kiehl-Kearney- Virginia Beach, VA Good morning. My name is Marian Kiehl-Kearney and I am a resident of Virginia Beach. My Delegate is Anne Ferrell Tata and my Senator is Bill DeSteph. I am testifying today in support of HJ 519- Constitutional Amendment for Reproductive Freedom. We have been living through tumultuous times these past few years, socially and politically speaking. Through it, I’ve prided myself on remaining (mostly) calm and refusing to live in a constant state of outrage. I believe constant outrage causes us to lose touch with practicality, moderation, and a sense of what is best for the “greater good”. I also believe unending outrage can contribute to good people and good leaders making bad decisions. All that said, the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overrule Roe v. Wade, ostensibly handing power over to the state of Virginia to decide what me and my daughters’ reproductive rights should be, has left me feeling stunned, frightened and indeed, outraged. I am a busy, tired, and proud, working mom of four in their teens and early-twenties. The idea that they and I could live in a Virginia where we no longer have autonomy over our own bodies, medical or family- planning decisions, is sickening. The thought of these extremely personal decisions and very basic freedoms being removed by politicians in the state where I and my family have built our lives, is enough to make me think hard about our future here. Perhaps it is because my husband and I are currently in the thick of raising four young adult children that I find it very easy to put myself back in that time-of-life and headspace. While attending Old Dominion University more than twenty years ago, two of the people I was closest to in the world found themselves in the position of needing to make that extremely personal medical decision. Imagining life in a Virginia where those of you in state government would had chosen for my loved ones, feels incredibly intrusive, undemocratic, and honestly- scary. Both of these people I have loved since college went on to collectively raise four gorgeous children and to live lives of productivity and integrity. I am certain you too know and even love people with similar experiences. Moving to amend Virginia’s constitution via HJ 519 will establish the fundamental right to reproductive freedom in our beloved state, including abortion care, without interference. It will help establish our right to make decisions about all matters related to pregnancy without discrimination or intrusion by politicians. As a mom, a wife, a professional in the health insurance industry (Director of Data Analysis at Anthem / Elevance Health), a lifelong Virginian, and a believer in democratic leadership; I implore you to draw upon your compassion, deep respect for personal freedoms, and love of democracy, and support HJ 519. Thank you for your time and consideration. Marian Kiehl-Kearney

Rachna Vanjani, M.D.- Alexandria, VA My name is Rachna Vanjani and I am an OB GYN and abortion provider at Whole Woman’s Health in Alexandria, Virginia. I ask Congress to pass the Constitutional Amendment for Reproductive Freedom because it gives Virginians the freedom to make their own decisions about their health, establishes the fundamental right to abortion care without interference, & protects against the punishment of providers such as myself for providing abortion care. If we don’t come together and pass this critical amendment, we will continue to be threatened by anti-choice legislation & abortion bans. Abortion bans don’t decrease the abortion rate, they only make it more challenging, cumbersome, and unsafe for a pregnant person to obtain the abortion. Every shift, I see and treat patients who have flown or driven from states where abortion is banned in order to obtain their abortion. They have usually borrowed money or received financial assistance in order to make the lengthy trip to the clinic to get the abortion. As someone who grew up in the Commonwealth, I was always proud of our state motto, “Virginia is for Lovers''. I felt I was raised in a state that had compassion and love for its residents. It’s a safe place to live. Let’s keep it that way. Instead of creating challenges, imposing health care restrictions, and dictating what a person should do with their body, how can Virginia continue to be compassionate and loving in caring for its residents? I ask Congress today, how can you uplift and support a person’s right to choose how they want to live their life? Please vote yes to pass the constitutional amendment for reproductive freedom. Our residents are counting on you to keep us safe. I urge you to vote for HJ 519! Thank you!

Shyamali Hauth- Reston, Virginia I’m Shyamali Hauth, a resident of Fairfax County, Virginia, and an Air Force veteran. I served 10 years in both enlisted and officer ranks and have an Honorable Discharge. I am very proud of my service and the opportunity it gave me to serve my country and to learn skills which have served me throughout my adult life. While I served, I also gave birth to three beautiful children and another a few years after discharge. But all of that was precariously close to never happening. When I was 15 years old, I was staying with a family friend for the summer. One night, one of their sons came into my room and forced himself on me. Unfortunately I became pregnant. I knew if my family found out I would have been cast out. The possibility of finding work to support myself and a child on my own at 15 was almost nil. I was distraught and even considered taking my life. Fortunately, I was afforded a different option. I was able to have an abortion. Having that choice saved my life and opened the possibility of enlisting in the Air Force. (Women who had children were not permitted to enlist at that time.) Having access to an abortion allowed me to have a career, children whom I love and cherish, and most importantly, agency over my own body. Every person who can become pregnant should have the right, in consultation with their doctor, to have access to an abortion should they choose. I strongly urge you to vote yes on HJ 519.

Please support HB1999 and HJ519, which aim to accomplish contraceptive equity and establish the right to choose in the state of Virginia, respectively. Reproductive healthcare is healthcare and it should be accessible to everyone who needs it; People should be able to access both of these resources without fear of government interference and prosecution. Supporting this bill and constitutional amendment will ultimately bring Virginians one step closer to reproductive justice. I ask you again to please support HB1999 and HJ519 for the reasons outlined. Thank you for your time.

Comments Document

Attached is the testimony for HJ 519

Please support HJ 519. This bill will allow voters to protect abortion access in the Commonwealth. Being denied an abortion can have detrimental economic consequences. People denied an abortion are 32% more likely to be relying on government assistance and are 11% more likely to live on a household income below the federal poverty level. In addition, people who were denied an abortion were 10% less likely to be working a full-time job than people who received an abortion. An abortion ban automatically increases the rate of unsafe abortions, which subsequently increases the number of deaths due to these dangerous procedures. The WHO and Guttmacher Institute estimate that at least 22,800 people die annually due to unsafe abortions. Young people want Virginia to remain a state with safe and accessible reproductive healthcare, and this is how we do it. Please support HJ 519.

Dear Committee Members, I am writing to express support for HB 519 - the Constitutional amendment to make abortion a right. As a woman, the thought of needing an abortion is terrifying. As a soon-to-be college graduate, there is no space, time, or money in my life that would prepare me for the important and difficult journey of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood. As a woman, should have the right to make my own decision about whether or not to get an abortion -without government intervention. This constitutional amendment would give me the power to do so. I would no longer have to fear the loss of my bodily autonomy as the Virginia General Assembly changes makeup over the years. In fact, most Virginians support access to abortion. The VA General Assembly most respond to and reflect the rights and needs of all Virginians by passing this amendment.

The proposed constitutional amendment - HJ519- would appear on its face to be simply inartfully drafted, and yet careful observation indicates that its vagaries are precisely designed to open the door to abortion on demand, for any reason, at any time, for any individual, including minors. Its failure to define critical terms, such as health, and individual, and the manner in which it apparently cancels out every possible infringement on a reproductive right makes it one of the most expansive legislative proposals for abortion access in the country.

Please support HB1999 and HJ519 which establish the fundamental rights to contraception and reproductive freedom. This Bill and Constitutional Amendment will enshrine vital and necessary healthcare rights for women without fear of governmental intervention or criminal consequences. Please table HB1488 and HB2270, two pieces of legislation designed to intimidate facilities and patients seeking legal abortions. Thank you.