Senate Bill No. 521

(By Senators Weeks, Smith, Minear, Prezioso, Harrison and Boley)

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[Introduced February 13, 2003; referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend article five, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-a, relating to requiring the collection of statistics relative to abortions performed in the state.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article five, chapter sixteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-a, to read as follows:
 ARTICLE 5. VITAL STATISTICS.
 §16-5-20a. Aborted fetus registration.
(a) A fetal death certificate for each fetal death caused by abortion which occurs in this state shall be filed with the local registrar of the registration district in which the abortion occurs within three days after the abortion and prior to removal or disposal of the fetus, and shall be registered with the registrar. The medical practitioner responsible for the performance of the abortion is responsible to provide the following information to be recorded in accordance with the provisions of this section: (1) The gestational age of the fetus; (2) the county of residence of the mother; (3) the age of the mother; (4) the type of abortion performed; (5) the cost of the abortion and whether it was performed at public expense; (6) the method of disposal of the remains; and, (7) whether birth defects were known, and if so, what birth defects.
 (b) Each local registrar shall provide the data collected under this section to the director of the department of health, who shall compile same for publication.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the collection of statistics relative to abortions performed in the state.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.