Second Attempt at Kan. Antiabortion Bill Seeks To Resolve Dispute Over Medical-Student Training

February 8, 2013 — Kansas lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bill (HB 2253) that aims to place several new restrictions on abortion while resolving a dispute from last year over medical-student training, the Lawrence Journal-World reports.

The measure is similar to a wide-ranging antiabortion bill that failed in committee last year, in part because of concerns that it would have jeopardized the accreditation of the University of Kansas' obstetrics and gynecology program. Legislators had attempted to appease the university by adding a provision allowing off-site abortion training for one year, but the school wanted a permanent solution.

The new bill contains a provision allowing University of Kansas medical students to receive abortion training that is privately funded. State Rep. Lance Kinzer (R), an adamant abortion-rights opponent, said any abortion training in the state will be "truly, completely, hermetically sealed off from any state dollars" under the bill.

C.J. Janovy, a University of Kansas Medical Center spokesperson, said, "[W]e believe we have found an administrative remedy that would not put our residency programs at risk if the language described were to become law" (Rothschild, Lawrence Journal-World, 2/6).

On Monday, a group of 30 college students from across Kansas lobbied at the state capitol to oppose lawmakers' plans to pursue antiabortion-rights legislation, including the failed bill from last year, the Huffington Post reports. The protest was organized by Choice USA (Celock, Huffington Post, 2/4).