LITTLE ROCK – The legislature has approved and sent to the governor a bill that clarifies the meaning of a medical emergency when the life of a pregnant woman and her unborn children are threatened.
House Bill 1610 defines a medical emergency as a condition which complicates the medical condition of a pregnant woman to the extent that termination of her pregnancy is necessary to save her life, according to “reasonable medical judgment.” The standard of “reasonable medical judgment” is longstanding and is used not only in medical care of pregnant women but also in all other medical contexts, according to HB 1610. Throughout the many years of its use, it has never proven to be unworkable or vague. The bill’s sponsors said they wanted to clarify that physicians who act in good faith to save a woman’s life would not be prosecuted under Arkansas anti-abortion laws if the unborn child unintentionally dies. Arkansas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. It is only allowed to save the life of the mother.
In other news both the Senate and House of Representatives has approved HB 1258 to establish standards for certifying community health workers. The bill outlines how much training is required and what health services they can perform. The bill is part of a broader effort this year to improve maternal health care in Arkansas. Many counties lack obstetricians and gynecologists, and pregnant women are more likely to go without adequate prenatal and postnatal care. An important provision in HB 1258 allows community health workers to be reimbursed by the state Medicaid program, which will make maternal care more accessible in areas that are now under-served medically.
The Senate passed legislation that removes a costly financial burden from families with a child in the juvenile justice system. Under SB 340, they would no longer have to pay fines and fees. They would no longer have to pay diversion fees, which go for counseling and services ordered by the juvenile court. The family would not have to pay for physical or psychiatric evaluations. However, the juvenile court could still order the juvenile or his or her parents and guardians to pay restitution.
SB 340 will be considered next by the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth and Legislative Affairs. The House has approved two bills intended to protect children from potentially harmful online technologies. Both are in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB 1717 restricts the ability of web site operators to collect and distribute information from minors. HB 1726 requires online operators to take reasonable measures to avoid content that would worsen a child’s anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, suicidal behavior, bullying or sexual abuse.
The House passed HB1713 to prohibit ballot issues if their title is written in English above the eighth-grade level. When a group submits a proposed ballot title to the state attorney general for approval, the attorney general would have to reject it if it were written at too high a level. Under the bill, the attorney general would use a national standard, known as the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level test, to determine how much education is required to read it.
