In a departure from the stance of the state medical board, the Colorado Nursing Board has ruled that the practice of “abortion reversal” does not constitute unprofessional conduct.
In a recent development, the Colorado Nursing Board has enacted a new policy regarding the provision of abortion reversal treatment. The Board has declared that it will not treat this treatment as a “per se act subjecting a licensee to discipline” for providing the treatment. Instead, the Board will review individual complaints of abortion reversal treatment on a case-by-case basis. This policy shift was first reported by Hannah Metzger for Colorado Politics.
In a statement made during Wednesday’s vote, Joe Franta, president of the nursing board, asserted that the board’s historical approach has been to address cases on a case-by-case basis for review and discipline. “We do not establish general standards of care.” Such standards are not created by us. “I believe that we lack the necessary foundation to make such a determination.”
Metzger posited that the recently enacted legislation in Colorado stipulates that the provision of the reversal treatment is deemed to be engaging in unprofessional conduct, which is subject to disciplinary action. This will remain in place unless three professional licensing entities—the medical board, the state boards of nursing, and the state boards of pharmacy—all determine, by October 1, that they consider the treatment to be a generally accepted standard of practice.
However, as previously stated, since the Colorado Medical Board has already adopted rules that do not consider reversal treatment to be a generally accepted practice, it is now impossible for the three boards to reach a consensus in favour of this treatment.
This week, the Colorado Medical Board voted to postpone the enforcement of its regulations until at least 23 October. The Colorado Medical Board cited a pending lawsuit by a Catholic clinic challenging the state’s new ban on the treatment when it voted on Wednesday to push back enforcement of its rules until at least 23 October, according to Saja Hindl of the Denver Post.
Bella Health and Wellness is a Catholic-founded nonprofit clinic that offers abortion pill reversal for women who have taken the first pill of the abortion pill regimen, mifepristone, and have filed a lawsuit on April 14, the same day the governor signed the law into effect. This information was reported by Nancy Flanders. The clinic is headquartered in Englewood, with additional facilities in Denver and Lafayette. It employs a total of 18 healthcare professionals, who collectively serve over 20,000 patients.
In a ruling handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Domenico, the recently enacted law, S.B. 190, or “Prohibiting Deceptive Practices at Anti-Abortion Centers,” signed by Governor Jared Polis on April 15th as part of a pro-abortion law package, was found to “burden their own First Amendment rights.” He issued a temporary restraining order.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty initiated legal proceedings on behalf of Bella.
In the view of Laura Wolk Slavis, counsel at the Becket Fund, Colorado’s new law represents the antithesis of choice. It targets women who have changed their minds and forces them to undergo abortions they wish to terminate. This legislation infringes upon the constitutional rights of these women and their medical practitioners. We are grateful to the court for its late-night order halting the implementation of this draconian law, which has allowed our clients to continue their valuable work of serving women in need.
The legislation was part of a package of reproductive health and gender-affirming care bills that lawmakers passed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 overruling the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which had recognised a right to abortion. This information was provided by Hindl of the Denver Post.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
