VA House Panel Upholds Mandated Ultrasounds Prior to Abortions - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather

RICHMOND, Va (WVIR) - A bill to strike down state-mandated ultrasounds prior to abortions in Virginia did not make it out of a state House panel Friday. A Senate panel rejected a similar bill this week.

As a result, women will still be required to have trans-abdominal ultrasounds before being allowed to have an abortion in Virginia.

A House Courts of Justice subcommittee heard testimony for or against the bill Friday afternoon in Richmond. Under a strong Republican majority, the subcommittee decided to keep things the way they are.

"Every woman deserves as much information as possible so she can make her choice with knowledge and live with less regret and second-guessing," said Jessica Cochrane with the Family Foundation.

The anti-abortion rights groups said they feel ending pregnancy is such a serious decision that women should have time to think and opportunity to see the fetus before proceeding.

"This legislation represents a dangerous and unprecedented intrusion by the commonwealth into patient privacy," said Dr. Wendy Klein.

Doctors and other medical representatives denounced the practice of requiring a trans-abdominal ultrasound as medically-unnecessary. Meanwhile, abortion rights groups say the mandate shames women and sends the wrong message.

The ultrasound mandate has been in place since 2012. There have been efforts to do away with the law, but it hasn't happened yet.

State lawmakers also struck down a bill that would have protected employees from being discriminated against based on any reproductive choices, including abortions. They also rejected a resolution that would have symbolically recognized life as beginning at conception.