SB 716 Virginia Senate · 2024 Regular Session

Unprofessional conduct; disciplinary action against doctor for providing abortion care, etc.

Summary
Virginia Contraception and Reproductive Health Care Protection Act. Establishes the Virginia Contraception and Reproductive Health Care Protection Act. The bill provides that no law-enforcement officer acting in the Commonwealth or employed by the Commonwealth or any of its localities or political subdivisions may investigate, arrest, or detain any person, seek the issuance of a warrant, or otherwise assist in or provide support for any investigation regarding either the provision or receipt of reproductive health care services, as defined in the bill, not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth or any person's menstrual health data. The bill creates a private right of action for any person who is aggrieved by such unlawful investigation to obtain an injunction or other equitable relief against such law-enforcement officer. The bill also allows a health care provider to bring an action to recover damages, costs, and attorney fees against the underlying plaintiff in any case in which an action against the health care provider lawfully providing reproductive health care services is dismissed, and such an action was found to be frivolous, vexatious, primarily for the purposes of harassment, or otherwise sanctionable. Lastly, the bill also prohibits the Board of Medicine from taking disciplinary action against a doctor based on the alleged provision or receipt of abortion care that is not prohibited under the laws of the Commonwealth, regardless of where such abortion care was provided or received. The bill also specifies that grounds for refusal to issue a certificate or license to any applicant or to take disciplinary action for procuring or performing an abortion apply to such action only as it is prohibited by the laws of the Commonwealth. Under current law, such grounds for refusal or disciplinary action apply for procuring or performing a criminal abortion.
Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2024
Committee Review
Feb 2024
Senate Passage
Apr 2024
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2024
Vetoed
Apr 2024
Introduced Jan 19, 2024 Vetoed Apr 5, 2024
Floor votes · Senate Feb 6, 2024 · House of Delegates Feb 20, 2024

How they voted

23–16
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
Feb 6, 2024
D Democratic21
21 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican19
2 Yea 16 Nay 1
84% Nay
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
33
Key actions
11
Committee
6
Apr 17, 2024
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Apr 5, 2024
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor
executive
Feb 29, 2024
Upper · Passed
Signed by President
upper
Feb 26, 2024
Lower · Passed
Signed by Speaker
lower
Feb 26, 2024
Upper · Passed
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB716ER)
upper
Feb 20, 2024
Lower · Passed
VOTE: Passage (54-Y 45-N)
lower
Feb 20, 2024
Lower · Passed
Passed House (54-Y 45-N)
lower
Feb 15, 2024
Lower · Passed
Reported from Health and Human Services (14-Y 8-N)
lower
Feb 13, 2024
Committee
Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services
lower
Feb 6, 2024
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (21-Y 18-N)
upper
Feb 6, 2024
Upper · Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (23-Y 16-N)
upper
Feb 1, 2024
Upper · Passed
Reported from Education and Health with substitute (9-Y 6-N)
upper
Jan 26, 2024
Upper · Passed
Senate subcommittee amendments and substitutes offered
upper
Jan 25, 2024
Committee
Assigned Education and Health Sub: Health Professions
upper
Jan 19, 2024
Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Health
upper
Jan 19, 2024
Introduced
Presented and ordered printed 24104822D
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors