Governor McAuliffe statement on Board of Health regulatory action vote

Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement today after the Virginia Board of Health voted to adopt a Notice of Intended Regulatory Action to review regulations on Virginia women’s health clinics:

“I would like to commend the Board of Health for adopting the Notice of Intended Regulatory Action, which will begin the review process of the 2013 regulations on women’s health clinics across Virginia. These clinics provide essential preventive care and cancer screenings to many women and families and unfortunately were facing closure due to onerous regulations that were the result of politics being inserted into the regulatory process.

“In May, I asked my Commissioner of Health, Dr. Marissa Levine, to evaluate the 2013 regulations with the primary goals of ensuring that all Virginians have access to the quality healthcare they need and deserve and protecting women’s rights to make their own healthcare decisions.

“Dr. Levine in October informed me that the existing regulations should in fact be amended to be aligned more accurately with medical practices, and today the Board of Health agreed with her recommendation. I am encouraged that the Board of Health has adopted this action and that the health and welfare of all Virginians will continue to be the Commonwealth’s top concern.”