Not what it sounded like…

Rep. Judy Boyle’s bill this morning - listed on the House State Affairs Committee agenda as being about “early termination of pregnancy” - turned out not to be about abortion after all. Instead, Boyle asked the committee to introduce a measure allowing mothers who miscarry before 20 weeks of gestation to obtain a “certificate of early fetal death” from the state’s vital statistics department. “If a mom loses a baby before 20 weeks, there is no piece of paper,” she said. “This is completely voluntary. Because it’s not a reportable death, it is not part of the public records act. It’s a very private thing for her.” The optional certificate would cost $13, the same as other official certificates, she said. The committee voted unanimously to introduce the bill, with no discussion.