The Virginia General Assembly last winter passed legislation requiring that all clinics performing at least five first-trimester abortions per month be regulated like hospitals. They currently are required to meet the same standards as doctor’s offices. Late Friday afternoon, the Virginia Department of Health unveiled a first draft of the regulations.
Abortion advocacy groups say that stringent regulations could force most of the state’s abortion clinics to close by requiring cost-prohibitive renovations and retrofitting.
The State Board of Health will vote on the regulations Sept. 15, and they will remain in place while permanent ones are drafted under the state’s normal regulatory process.
Source: The Washington Examiner