Arizona abortion-services bill approved

PHOENIX, May 5 (UPI) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill that bans state and local authorities from contracting with organizations that provide abortion services.

Brewer signed HB 2800 while speaking at a reception for the Susan B. Anthony List -- a group working to elect anti-abortion candidates to public office -- Friday night, her office said in a release.

"This is a common sense law that tightens existing state regulations and closes loopholes in order to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions, whether directly or indirectly," Brewer said. "By signing this measure into law, I stand with the majority of Americans who oppose the use of taxpayer funds for abortion."

The law is aimed at cutting funding for government contracts with facilities that do not meet the federal requirements under Title 19 of the Social Security Act, which reimburses in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment, The Arizona Republic reported.

It also prioritizes the distribution of public family-planning funds to healthcare entities that provide comprehensive care for women.

Planned Parenthood of Arizona officials said they believe the bill is intended to impact their non-abortion services.

"I think it's also instructive that the place that the governor would sign this is at a political rally -- it might be an elegant political rally, but it is a 100 percent political event, and that speaks volumes about what this legislation was about from day one," said Bryan Howard, president of Planned Parenthood of Arizona. "But while the impetus for the governor is political, and for the sponsors it's political, the impact is on health care for poor Arizonans, and that is a terrible, terrible trade-off."