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Minutes for HB2809 - Committee on Federal and State Affairs
Short Title
Creating the every mom matters act to require the state treasurer to contract with eligible organizations to provide information and support services to pregnant women and parents considering adoption.
Minutes Content for Tue, Mar 12, 2024
The Chair opened the hearing on HB2809. The Revisor provided an overview of the bill (Attachment 1).
The Chairperson recognized Jeanne Gawdun who spoke in favor of HB2809 .(Attachment 2). She stated that the Every Mother Matters Act (EMMA) gives pregnant women and families looking to adopt easier access to a wide variety of support services and resources that promote healthy pregnancies and childbirth, provide information on adoption, and promote family and child development.
Chairperson Carpenter then recognized Brittany Jones who stated that HB2809 creates a hotline that connects individuals with information and resources. The hotline requires the hotline provider to be able to give callers certain information about childbirth, healthy choices, and adoption depending on their inquiry. Supplying moms and families with more information and resources can only assist them as they make decisions about growing their family. (Attachment 3)
Ruth Tisdale stated that women who face an unplanned pregnancy or who are on the verge of doing their own abortion at home need immediate access to accurate and unbiased medical information that they can be confident in. The EMMA hotline would enable just that. Many women around the state do not have access to the services that other women have in the metropolitan areas. This hotline would help them connect with a medical professional that can direct her to a pregnancy center, an adoption agency or a doctor's office for additional help. (Attachment 4)
The Chairperson recognized Lucrecia Nold as a proponent of HB2809 (Attachment 5). She stated that the hotline will assist families in Kansas who are wanting to grow their families with access to the services they need.
The Chair recognized Taylor Morton who spoke in opposition to HB2809 (Attachment 6) on behalf of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes. She stated that this bill would establish the EMMA program in the Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and require the state treasurer to contract with eligible organizations to provide information and support services to pregnant people and parents considering adoption. Organizations that provide abortion care or are an affiliate of an abortion provider are not eligible.
Zack Gingrich-Gaylord testified in opposition to HB2809 on behalf of Trust Women (Attachment 7). He stated that Trust Women is a health care provider with a mission to provide and protect access to abortion care. This bill creates a channel for state taxpayer funds to be diverted into anti-abortion organizations.
Chairperson Carpenter noted that there is written opponent testimony from Laurel Burchfield, Mainstream (Attachment 8); Melissa Stiehler, Loud Light Civic Action (Attachment 9); and Sapphire Garcia-Lies, Kansas Birth Justice Society (Attachment 10).
The Chair closed the hearing on HB2809.
