There are dangerous abortion facilities throughout the country eluding accountability for their negligent practices and abuse of patients, but thanks to Reprotection’s efforts, Montana is one less state where the abortion industry will be permitted to thrive.
Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a licensing bill that Reprotection helped bring to the table. The legislation will ensure a clear path of enforcement against abortion facilities statewide.
The rules for the bill Reprotection assisted with are currently being written, and now, the real battle begins as Planned Parenthood prepares to file a lawsuit.
But we’re not backing down. Before our intervention, Montana abortion facilities were allowed to operate without even the most basic of regulations, and communities have a right to know about the danger present within their own backyard.
Reprotection allied with Pro-Life Helena Chair Sharon Nason in August 2022 to put legislation on the table that would regulate abortion facilities. Our staff took a month to research the current abortion clinics and state laws (or lack of laws, in this case), and we acted accordingly based on our investigation.
From there, we provided Nason with sample bills from other states, including ACT No. 340 from Indiana, which amended the state’s code to establish minimum license qualifications, sanitation standards, and procedures to provide emergency care.
As an organization experienced in catching clinics breaking the law and spearheading proper enforcement actions against them, Reprotection is well-versed in how the abortion industry operates. It’s a power structure that will do anything to keep violating the law so it can continue exploiting women for profit.
In October 2022, one of our team members consulted with an attorney from the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm. The attorney provided advice about what bills had a chance of passing and which ones the Montana Supreme Court had struck down in the past.
By consulting a pro-life ally’s expertise, we were able to strategize and create a bill that will ensure proper accountability of Montana’s abortion clinics.
And we will continue to offer help by advising the attorney at the state health department in charge of writing the rules for the bill to make sure it has the necessary language for proper enforcement. Our team has done a substantial amount of research into past bills that Planned Parenthood has not challenged, and we will continue to assist with the legislation in Montana so the rules are written in a way that the abortion industry cannot easily strike them down.
“Abortion facilities in Montana have never had any licensing or regulatory requirements, so this will be a great step forward in bringing accountability to our abortion facilities,” Nason said. “Thank you, Reprotection, for all you did to help us here in Montana.”