BILL NUMBER: HR 32	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Atkins

                        JANUARY 5, 2016

   Relative to Women's Reproductive Health.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
             HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST



   WHEREAS, January 22, 2016, marks the 43rd anniversary of the
United States Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, which
affirmed that every woman has a fundamental right to control her own
reproductive decisions and to decide whether to end or to continue
pregnancy, and is an occasion deserving of celebration; and
   WHEREAS, Roe v. Wade has been the cornerstone of women's ability
to control their reproductive lives, allowing every woman in America
the right to decide when, if, and with whom to have children, and how
many children to have; and
   WHEREAS, Women's ability to control their reproductive lives has
helped and facilitated their participation in the economic and social
life of our nation; and
   WHEREAS, Roe v. Wade has drastically reduced the maternal
mortality rate for women terminating their pregnancies in the United
States. In the years prior to the decision, illegal abortion
accounted for approximately 17 percent of all reported deaths
attributable to pregnancy and childbirth, and many women were
severely injured as a result of "back alley" abortion procedures; and

   WHEREAS, Interference with a woman's right to choose causes women
to be forced into illegal and dangerous abortions, as they often were
in the United Sates before the Roe v. Wade decision. Many women are
forced to make these decisions today in countries where abortion is
illegal and where the unsafe methods of illegal abortion lead to 13
percent of global maternal deaths annually, or eight maternal deaths
every hour. Many survivors of an illegal abortion suffer serious and
often permanent injuries; and
   WHEREAS, Roe v. Wade continues to protect the health and freedom
of women throughout the United States; and
   WHEREAS, The State of California stands in strong support of every
woman's fundamental right, as confirmed in Roe v. Wade, to make her
own decisions regarding her pregnancy; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly urges the President of the United States and the United
States Congress to express their support for a woman's fundamental
right to control her own reproductive decisions, as well as their
support for access to comprehensive reproductive health care,
including the services provided by Planned Parenthood; and be it
further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the
Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative
from California in the Congress of the United States, and to the
author for appropriate distribution.