Hoping to provide an alternative to abortion, Senator George Burns has filed Senate Bill 1167, the “Every Mother Matters Act,” also called EMMA. Burns wants the legislation to provide access to resources and programs which a woman, who is considering an abortion, may not know is available.
“Many women facing unexpected pregnancies turn to abortion because they feel like they have no choice. We want to make sure they have an opportunity to connect with medical, financial and other resources that they may not know about,” Burns said. “This legislation will do that as well as provide screening to identify those who’ve been victims of crime so that, with the woman’s consent, a report can be made to the appropriate law enforcement agency.”
SB 1167 would require that a woman seeking an abortion must be given a pre-abortion resource access assistance offer. If accepted, it would allow her to be connected to a care agent who will assess her eligibility and offer help in getting support services other than an abortion. The services could include the unborn child’s father.
Those services which could be accessed are housing, employment, childcare, health care, counseling, adoption services, financial assistance and more.
“My ultimate goal is ending abortion altogether, and that fight continues,” Burns said. “But we must also do all we can as a state to help present compassionate options for those faced with unexpected pregnancies that promote the preservation and dignity of life for mothers and their babies.”
Burns’ bill also creates qualifications for care agents along with a disqualification for anyone who worked as or for an abortion provider within the last two years.
