Erin Ryan · December 11, 2015

Legislation: Ohio House Bill 294 – Abortion (State and Federal De-funding)

Bill: House Bill 294 (full text) Title: Prohibit State and Federal Fund Use For Elective Abortion Sponsors: Representatives Patmon and Conditt Co-Sponsors: Representatives Brenner, Hood, Terha, Roegner, Butler, Vitale, Perales, Sprague, Blessing III, Becker, Antani, Retherford, Brinkman Jr., Hagan, Koehler, Hayes, Schaffer, Maag, Hambley, Thompson, McClain, Hall, Hill, Amstutz, Boose, Buchy, Burkley, Derickson, Dovilla, Ginter, Green, Grossman, Hackett, Huffman, Johnson, T., LaTourette, McColley, Pelanda, Romanchuk, Smith, R., Young, Zeltwanger, Speaker Rosenberger, and Senators Obhof, Jordan, Coley, Widener, Bacon, Balderson, Beagle, Burke, Eklund, Faber, hite, Hottinger, Jones, LaRose, Lehner, Oelslager, Seitz, and Uecker Bill Analysis: This bill would prevent any organization that performs or “promotes” abortion from being able to receive any state or federal funding from grants through the Ohio Department of Health, including funding for programs that provide HIV testing, reproductive education, and cancer screenings.  It would also prevent the Department of health to contract or affiliate with any entity that performs or promotes elective abortions. Status: Introduced in the House on June 30, 2015.  Referred to the House Community and Family Advancement Committee on September 16, 2015.  Received Committee Hearings on October 6 and 13, 2015 and November 4, 2015 where it was amended to change the phrasing of “elective abortion” to “non-therapeutic” abortion and to include a definition for the word “promote”. On November 17th, the bill was voted out of the House Committee with a favorable passage of 9-4 and passed by the entire House by a 62-33 vote.  It was introduced in the Senate on November 18th, 2015 and was referred to the Senate Committee on Government Oversight and Reform on December 9, 2015.  The bill received Committee hearings in the Senate on January 26 and 27, 2016. The Senate Committee on Government Oversight and Reform reported an amended version of the bill on January 27, 2016.  The amendment was made after concerns arose during testimony of the funding that would be lost from Planned Parenthood’s infant mortality prevention programs.  The amendment earmarked $250,000 from Medicaid funding for community health centers only for infant mortality prevention programs.  The bill passed in the Senate Committee 9-3.  It was passed in the Senate 22-8 on January 27, 2016. The House concurred in the Senate Amendments and passed the bill 59-32 on February 10, 2016.  The bill was delivered to the Governor on February 18, 2016 and was signed by the Governor on February 21, 2016.  See how your legislators voted here.