“Current abortion providers have yet to comply with the abortion reporting laws,” said Senator Frank. B. Aguon, Jr.
This noncompliance prompted Senators Frank B. Aguon, Jr. and Dennis Rodriguez, Jr. to introduce Bill No. 168-33(COR), which is an act to add a new subsection relative to increasing the penalties for non-compliance and adding reporting mechanisms to better ensure enforcement.
“These past abortion reports have proven that By providing an enforcement provision for the Director of Department of Public Health and Social Services, we can ensure full compliance with these reports,” Aguon said.
The bill provides a reporting mechanism for non-compliance that would require, within 15 days of discovery, the Director of Department of Public Health and Social Services deliver written notice which details the nature of such non-compliance to the Attorney General and the chairperson of the Guam Board of Medical Examiners. Furthermore, on a quarterly basis, the Attorney General shall deliver a report to the Director of the Department of Public Health and Social Services and the Legislature. The report would state in summary form the steps the Office of the Attorney General has taken in response to the events of reported non-compliance in the previous quarter and the status of such.
If the bill is approved, violators will be charged with felony in the third degree, instead of misdemeanor. Further, violators will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment and will pay a fine of not less than $10,000 but not more than $100,000./The Junction News Team
