On Tuesday, the House passed legislation aimed at assisting domestic violence shelters in the state.
HB1420 directs an additional court cost of twenty-five dollars to be assessed if an individual is convicted of domestic abuse or is the respondent on a permanent order of protection. The money will be used to administer grants to domestic violence shelters.
The House also passed a package of bills focused on small businesses. SB249 creates a state matching grant for small businesses in innovation if the business has received a federal grant. SB250 allows the state to partner with innovation hubs which provide assistance to start up companies.
In a vote of 79-3, with 6 voting present, the House passed HB434, An Act to create the Sex Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act. This bill requires physicians to ask a patient if she knows the sex of the fetus before an abortion can proceed. If so, this requires the physician to obtain medical records and inform the patient that abortions performed solely on the basis of sex are illegal.
The House will reconvene Wednesday at 1:30 pm.