Ban Abortion Referrals at Publicly Funded Facilities

HB 1769 establishes a straightforward and morally serious rule: medical facilities that receive public funding may not refer patients for abortions. The principle at stake is simple. Taxpayers who believe that every human life bears the image of God should not be compelled to finance the steering of vulnerable women toward the destruction of their unborn children. This bill draws a clean line between public resources and abortion facilitation.

The bill does not leave women without support. It affirmatively requires that publicly funded providers refer patients to pregnancy resource centers, organizations that exist precisely to walk alongside women in difficult circumstances with practical help, accurate information, and genuine care. This is not a restriction on women; it is a redirection of public resources toward life-affirming assistance.

The enforcement provisions give the law genuine force. By granting standing to both taxpayers and affected mothers to seek injunctive relief and recover attorney's fees, the bill ensures accountability. Laws without enforcement mechanisms are aspirations. This bill is a commitment.

From a faith-informed perspective, we recognize that government is not morally neutral. When the state funds medical referrals, it acts as an agent with a moral responsibility. HB 1769 insists that this responsibility be exercised in a manner consistent with the protection of innocent life rather than its termination.

The American Council strongly supports this legislation and calls on New Hampshire lawmakers to advance it. Its defeat on an Inexpedient to Legislate motion is a setback, not a conclusion. We urge continued advocacy for reintroduction and passage in the next legislative session.