Gov. Bob McDonnell has signed a measure that will tighten restrictions on abortion clinics, making Virginia the first state in the country to require first-trimester abortion clinics to meet hospital-level standards.
The state Board of Health will now craft regulations, slated to take effect Jan. 1, for clinics that perform five or more first-trimester abortions per month.
Advocates of the bill say that it is intended to protect women’s health, while opponents argue that the tighter requirements could shutter 17 of the state’s 21 abortion clinics.
Under the timeline adopted by the board, the public can comment on the regulations before they’re adopted in September, though there will be less time for public input on the plan because they have to be crafted within 280 days of the law’s enactment. The draft rules will then go to the executive branch for review.
