HB 520 -- Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE)
Act

Sponsor:  Oxford

This bill establishes the Compassionate Assistance for Rape
Emergencies (CARE) Act which allows any health care facility that
provides emergency care to sexual assault victims to give a
victim information regarding emergency contraception, inform the
victim of her option to be provided emergency contraception, and
provide a complete regimen of emergency contraception if
requested.  The health care provider must follow federal
Department of Justice protocols on HIV/STI screening and
prophylactic treatment.  An emergency health care facility must
ensure that the victim is treated by a provider who has medically
and factually accurate, objective information about emergency
contraception.

The Department of Health and Senior Services must:

(1)  Develop, prepare, and produce informational materials
regarding emergency contraception for the prevention of pregnancy
for distribution in any health care facility in the state.  The
materials must be medically and factually accurate and objective;
comprehensible; provide an explanation of the use, safety,
efficacy, and availability of emergency contraception; and
explain that it does not cause an abortion;

(2)  Respond to complaints and periodically perform compliance
checks on emergency health care facilities.  If a facility is not
in compliance, the department will impose a $5,000 administrative
penalty per woman who is denied the informational materials or
who is not offered emergency contraception and a $5,000
administrative penalty for failure to comply with the CARE Act
with an additional $5,000 penalty for every 30 days of
non-compliance; and

(3)  Establish rules to implement the act.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:25 am