Latest news with #MaternalandChildServicesdivision
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans Propose Creepy Bill to Track Pregnant People
Missouri Republicans are advancing an effort that would require pregnant people to register in a statewide database. House Bill 807, called the 'Save MO Babies Act,' is intended to target people 'at risk for seeking abortion services' and to 'reduce the number of preventable abortions.' If passed, the registry would start on July 1, 2026, and would be managed by the Maternal and Child Services division of the state's Department of Social Services, according to the bill text. But the bill does not specify the scope and scale of such a registry, or exactly how 'at risk' individuals would be identified. Even the bill's author, adoption attorney Gerard Harms, admitted that the bill was 'very inartfully drafted' while making his case before the state House Children and Families Committee on Tuesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The effort was roundly condemned by both government-wary Republicans and pro-abortion Democrats. 'ARE YOU SERIOUS!?' House Democrats wrote in a post on Facebook, according to the paper. 'We have to imagine even conservative Missourians would be horrified by this idea,' the Democrats said. In November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a ballot measure that enshrined abortion access in their state constitution. The measure, called the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, solidified that the government has no role in a person's 'fundamental right to reproductive freedom,' including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion care, miscarriage care, and respectful birthing conditions. It also undid the Show-Me State's total abortion ban, which took effect one hour after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Still, that hasn't stopped state lawmakers from fighting for stronger abortion restrictions. Last month, Missouri Representative Eric Burlison introduced the 'Life at Conception Act' at the federal level, aiming to classify a fetus as a person under the 14th Amendment. Meanwhile, state Representative Brian Seitz introduced a bill—Joint Resolution 39—that would prevent abortion access after a fetal heartbeat is detected, allowing only narrow exceptions for medical emergencies.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Missouri bill proposes registry for pregnant women to ‘reduce preventable abortions'
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KTVI) — Legislation introduced in Missouri would create a list of 'at risk' pregnant women in the state in order to 'reduce the number of preventable abortions.' House Bill 807, nicknamed the 'Save MO Babies Act,' was proposed by Republican state Rep. Phil Amato. The bill summary states that, if passed, Missouri would create a registry of every expecting mother in the state 'who is at risk for seeking an abortion' starting July 1, 2026. The list would be created through the Maternal and Child Services division of the Department of Social Services, but the measure did not specify how the 'at risk' would be identified. This registry would also incorporate hopeful adoptive parents who have completed certain screenings, including background checks, home studies and other investigations, according to the legislation. Additionally, the bill would mandate the promotion of 'the safe and healthy birth of children in the state through the utilization of existing resources; coordinate community resources and provide assistance or services to expecting mothers identified to be at risk for seeking abortion services; and prevent abortions through the adoption of children by fit and proper adoptive parents.' Leader of cultlike 'Zizian' group linked to 6 killings in multiple states ordered held without bail A response, evaluation and legal team comprised of 10 members would be appointed between the director of the Department of Social Services, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) and the state Supreme Court. According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, there were just over 3,000 abortions in the state in 2022, a 62 percent decrease from 1999, which saw more than 8,000. HB807 was referred to the Children and Families Committee on Feb. 13. Its next hearing is on Wednesday. Lawmakers in the state are also pushing for stricter abortion laws, with a bill introduced last month that would prohibit abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected except in cases of medical emergencies. In November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a ballot measure to add the right to an abortion to their state constitution. More than a month later, a judge ruled that Missouri's near-total abortion ban, which went into effect in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, was unenforceable under the new constitutional amendment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
18-02-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Missouri bill proposes registry for pregnant women to ‘reduce preventable abortions'
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KTVI) — Legislation introduced in Missouri would create a list of 'at risk' pregnant women in the state in order to 'reduce the number of preventable abortions.' House Bill 807, nicknamed the 'Save MO Babies Act,' was proposed by Republican state Rep. Phil Amato. The bill summary states that, if passed, Missouri would create a registry of every expecting mother in the state 'who is at risk for seeking an abortion' starting July 1, 2026. The list would be created through the Maternal and Child Services division of the Department of Social Services, but the measure did not specify how the 'at risk' would be identified. This registry would also incorporate hopeful adoptive parents who have completed certain screenings, including background checks, home studies and other investigations, according to the legislation. Additionally, the bill would mandate the promotion of 'the safe and healthy birth of children in the state through the utilization of existing resources; coordinate community resources and provide assistance or services to expecting mothers identified to be at risk for seeking abortion services; and prevent abortions through the adoption of children by fit and proper adoptive parents.' A response, evaluation and legal team comprised of 10 members would be appointed between the director of the Department of Social Services, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) and the state Supreme Court. According to the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services, there were just over 3,000 abortions in the state in 2022, a 62 percent decrease from 1999, which saw more than 8,000. HB807 was referred to the Children and Families Committee on Feb. 13. Its next hearing is on Wednesday. Lawmakers in the state are also pushing for stricter abortion laws, with a bill introduced last month that would prohibit abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected except in cases of medical emergencies. In November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a ballot measure to add the right to an abortion to their state constitution. More than a month later, a judge ruled that Missouri's near-total abortion ban, which went into effect in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, was unenforceable under the new constitutional amendment.
