Community Corner

Falls Church Abortion Clinic Files First Lawsuit Against New Regulations

The abortion clinic says the new regulations are the product of a flawed process.

The Falls Church Medical Center is the first abortion clinic in Virginia to file a lawsuit against state health officials in Arlington County Circuit Court over new abortion clinic regulations, according to a Washington Post story Thursday.

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli was a strong supporter of the new regulations while Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffe was against the new regulations, the New York Times reported earlier this year. 

In April, the Virginia Board of Health voted 11-2 to pass the regulations that will force existing abortion clinics to meet the same architectural requirements as newly constructed hospitals, including 5-foot wide public hallways, new ventilation systems, covered front entrances and drinking fountains in waiting rooms, according to a Huffington Post story.

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The clinic says there is no medical justification to require abortion clinics to have the same standards as newer hospitals, according to the Washington Post. To meet those standards abortion clinics would have to make expensive renovations to meet the standards.


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