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Committee deadlocks on adoption-information bill after wide testimony; sponsors later move to postpone
Summary
Sponsors sought to require that health-care providers offer plain-language information about adoption and pregnancy support when patients express pregnancy-related concerns; the proposal prompted broad testimony from advocates, medical providers and adoption counselors and ultimately failed in committee before a motion to postpone prevailed.
Representatives Scott and Fanell presented HB11-05, which would require that when a patient expresses concern about a pregnancy or requests pregnancy-related supports, a willing health-care provider offer, in plain language and unless declined, information about adoption and other pregnancy-support resources and referrals.
Supporters — a mix of adoptees, adoptive parents, adoption counselors and pregnancy-center leaders — described cases in which people said they had never been offered adoption as an option and urged that making the option visible would prevent regret and place more infants with waiting adoptive families. "When I was 2 years old I entered the foster care system... My adoption changed my life," said Adeline Hayes, who identified herself as an adoptee and urged a yes vote.
Opponents — Planned Parenthood, reproductive-rights groups and some clinicians — argued the bill risks compelled speech and clinical intrusion. Planned Parenthood’s representative said clinicians already offer non-directive counseling when relevant and warned a state mandate could insert politics into the exam room. Medical witnesses raised concerns about providers' training to answer detailed legal, mental-health and adoption-process questions in a brief clinical visit and flagged potential issues for people with limited English proficiency.
After extensive testimony and a committee amendment that removed a 24-hour waiting period and clarified triggers and language, the committee vote initially failed on a 5–8 tally. Sponsors then sought and won a motion to postpone the bill indefinitely (8–5). Committee debate reflected sharply held but sincere differences over patient autonomy, clinician practice, and whether standardizing an offer of information advances or harms informed consent.
Next steps: HB11-05 was postponed indefinitely in committee and therefore will not advance in its current form; sponsors remain open to further drafting and stakeholder work.
