The State Medical Board is reviewing its regulations to determine whether to update or revise the current requirements and standards for second or third trimester abortions. The Board is not proposing any specific changes at this time. As a first step in considering any proposed updates or revisions, the Board would like to gather comments from the public through this scoping process.
Specifically, the State Medical Board is reviewing the following regulations in Title 12, Chapter 40 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with requirements and standards for second or third trimester abortions:
12 AAC 40.100. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS. Abortions interrupting a pregnancy up to and including the twelfth week of gestation may be performed without consultation. Abortions performed after the twelfth week of gestation shall be preceded by consultation with another physician. The consultation shall include an opinion as to the preferred method of termination of pregnancy.
12 AAC 40.120. STANDARDS FOR HOSPITALS AND FACILITIES. (b) During the second or third trimester of a pregnancy, blood, blood derivatives, blood substitutes or plasma expanders shall be immediately available when an abortion is performed, and an operating room appropriately staffed and equipped for major surgery in accordance with regulations adopted under AS 18.20.060 shall be immediately available.
The purpose of this notice is to ask the public and other interested parties for ideas and suggestions for possible updates or revisions to these regulations before the Board undertakes the task of drafting any specific proposed revisions to these regulations. These ideas and suggestions can be as broad or as narrow, or as general or specific as a submitter may wish, but they should pertain only to the two sections cited above.
The Board is not proposing any new regulations or specific changes at this time. There are no draft regulations to review. If the board does draft any new regulations or amendments relating to these two sections, those proposed revisions will be noticed, and made available for public review and comment under AS 44.62, the Administrative Procedure Act.
This notice and the input it solicits is intended to assist the board in gathering information before it begins the formal process of drafting any proposed changes to its existing regulations.
Written comments, suggestions, and other input must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on January 19, 2017. Please send all submissions by mail or email to:
Jun Maiquis, Regulations Specialist
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
P.O. Box 110806
Juneau, AK 99811-0806
RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov
Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System, by accessing this notice on the system at http://notice.alaska.gov/183998 and using the “comment” link.
The division reserves the right to waive technical defects in this publication. The division complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who may need auxiliary aides, services or special modifications to participate in this scoping request may contact the above address or email.
Publish date: December 21, 2016