The Huffington Post reported on the hostile amendments to the ultrasound bill (House Bill 4085) which passed out of committee today. The bill originally would require that a woman seeking an abortion view an ultrasound of her fetus, or provide a written statement of her refusal. The hostile amendments (amendments #3-7), sponsored by Representatives Feigenholtz, Cassidy, Jakobsson, Lang, and Flowers, seek to address inconsistencies in the bill's original content. Two out of the five amendments aim to impose fairness by addressing issues around coverage and informed consent for the prescription of erectile dysfunction medication.
Three additional amendments address the ultrasound itself, requiring women to consent to the costs associated with the ultrasound (which may not be covered by insurance), and extending the pre-procedure ultrasound requirement to surgical treatments unrelated to reproductive health, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
