RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia House has approved legislation to undo Republican-backed restrictions on abortion.
The new Democratic majority voted Tuesday to undo requirements that including a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion, as well a requirement that women seeking an abortion undergo an ultrasound and counseling.
The bill, which is part of Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam’s legislative agenda, would also roll back the requirement that an abortion be provided by a physician, allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to perform them.
Republicans said the legislation makes the standards too lax and puts women’s health at risk.
The bill now moves to the Senate, which is set to consider similar legislation of its own in the coming days.
The bills are advancing at a time when pro-choice advocates are increasingly worried the nation’s highest court could overturn or chip away at the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled in March to hear its first major abortion case since the addition of two justices appointed by President Donald Trump.
