HB 271: Repealing the Fetal Life Protection Act. SUMMARY: HB 271 is a bill that would repeal the Fetal Life Protection Act, or FLPA. In New Hampshire, abortion is heavily restricted after the 24 weeks by the FLPA; this bill would enable unrestricted abortions up to full-term. STATUS: There will be a public hearing of HB 271 before the House Judiciary Committee this coming week. Following a hearing, a committee votes to either recommend the bill to the full House as OTP (Ought to Pass) or ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate). This is the first step in passing or defeating a bill. The testimony of citizens submitted at these hearings, especially in person, is influential in determining what recommendation a committee will make on a bill. WHEN: Wednesday, February 15, at 10:30 AM in the Legislative Office Building, rooms 206-208. CORNERSTONE POSITION: Cornerstone OPPOSES this bill. HB 224: Repealing the Criminal and Civil Penalties of the Fetal Life Protection Act. SUMMARY: HB 224 is a bill that would repeal all criminal and civil legal penalties against health care providers for violating the Fetal Life Protection Act. If this bill were to pass, it would no longer be a class B felony for any health care provider to perform or induce an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy. STATUS: There will be a public hearing of HB 224 before the House Judiciary Committee this coming week. Following a hearing, a committee votes to either recommend the bill to the full House as OTP (Ought to Pass) or ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate). This is the first step in passing or defeating a bill. The testimony of citizens submitted at these hearings, especially in person, is influential in determining what recommendation a committee will make on a bill. WHEN: Wednesday, February 15, at 2:30 PM in the Legislative Office Building, rooms 206-208. WHY: Both HB 271 and HB 224 threaten the Fetal Life Protection Act, and would return us to a state that has virtually no abortion restrictions. The FLPA is New Hampshire’s only protection for pre-born children. New Hampshire made history by going from a state that allowed abortion for any reason up to birth, to protecting pre-born children who are at least 24 weeks old. HB 224 stands as the main threat to pre-born life, as our governor, Chris Sununu, has called to remove the penalties for violating the Fetal Life Protection Act. A pro-choice individual, he is the only Republican governor in America pushing for abortion up to birth, and has pledged to sign the bill if it reaches his desk. Additionally, Chris Sununu personally lobbied for a functionally identical bill, HB 1609, in the House just last year. As New Hampshire’s sole restriction on abortion, the FLPA only defends pre-born children who could live outside the womb, were they delivered. HB 271 and HB 224 would eliminate these vital protections for late-term pre-born in New Hampshire. In order to protect these children in their last months, we need support and testimony from our pro-life community to help our lawmakers make the right decision to continue to protect these precious lives. WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1. Register your opposition for HB 271 and HB 224 by signing in opposing the bills here. It is important that you sign in two times, opposing both bills. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to sign in here. 2. Submit written testimony. You can do this when you sign in. Simply hit “choose file” under step number four to upload a document with your testimony, or type your testimony into the provided box. 3. We urge you to come and testify in person, especially if you fall under one of the following categories:A physicianSomeone who has a child or relative disabled since birthPost-abortive mother or fatherA pro-life woman of any ageWe have step-by-step instructions on how to testify here. You can also reach out to us at cornerstone@nhcornerstone.org if you have any questions about the testifying process. Important Note: A number of people have had issues with the House remote sign-in page. If you are encountering problems, you can also email the committee directly registering your support for the bill and/or submitting written testimony. You can find their contact info here or email the full committee at HouseJudiciaryCommittee@leg.state.nh.us 4. Additionally, we encourage you to educate yourself on the Fetal Life Protection Act. Cornerstone has produced a 3-minute video, included below, to explain the history, context, and content of the FLPA. We urge you to take a few minutes to watch the video and share it with your friends and family. |
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