Creating an alternatives to abortion program, and making an appropriation

This bill creates an alternatives to abortion program, and makes an appropriation. The bill requires the department of human services (DHS) to create a statewide alternatives to abortion program to promote childbirth and to provide support services to pregnant women. The bill specifies that the program is designed to provide a holistic approach and personalized support to pregnant women considering abortion to provide stabilization to families and reduce abortion; reduce the number of abortions and improve pregnancy outcomes by helping women practice sound health-related behaviors and improve prenatal nutrition; improve child health and development by helping parents provide responsible and competent care for their children; and improve family economic self-sufficiency by linking parents to services that address individual economic and social needs. DHS shall issue a request for proposals to administer the program. The bill specifies that an eligible contractor shall meet all of the following requirements: be a nonprofit entity; have a commitment to promoting childbirth as a fundamental part of the contractor’s mission; operate pregnancy resource centers; utilize proactive targeted digital marketing to reach pregnant women in real time who are in crisis and actively seeking an abortion and employ specific scripting strategies to create a conversation with these pregnant women to encourage them to choose an alternative to an abortion by increasing awareness of services and removing obstacles to care; utilize a virtual clinic model to connect the pregnant woman to caregivers who use collaborative shared decision-making tools to allow a pregnant woman to identify obstacles, schedule a pregnancy test and an ultrasound at a local pregnancy resource center, design and execute a personalized care plan, and comprehensively address needs that encourage a healthy pregnancy by linking the pregnant woman to a continuum of care program and community resources; and track key information throughout the entire cycle of the contractor’s interactions with a pregnant woman to provide program transparency and accountability. DHS shall adopt administrative rules to administer the program, and shall provide technical assistance to contractors, monitor contractors for adherence to state and federal requirements, and collect and maintain program data. The bill makes an appropriation to DHS for FY 2021-2022 for distribution through a request for proposals process to contractors administering the alternatives to abortion program.