UPDATE: On June 13, 2018, House Bill 2050 was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with a vote of 10-5. The next step will be a vote on the floor of the Senate. Urge your state Senator to vote YES to protect children with Down syndrome in the womb through the Catholic Advoca

Legislation that would prohibit the abortion of a child due solely to a diagnosis of possible Down syndrome passed the House of Representatives on April 16 by a vote of 139-56. Under current law, a woman can obtain an abortion prior to 24 weeks gestational age for any reason, except i

Pennsylvania House Health Committee took a decisive 17-9 vote in support of House Bill 2050, the Down syndrome Protection Act. The legislation (and its companion Senate Bill 1050) would ban abortion of an unborn child as a result of a Down syndrome diagnosis. The bill proceeded to the

“It was a wave of humanity that lifted us out of institutions, brought us home, got us into schools and included us in the community of life, and now it will require another wave of humanity to stop the targeting of Down syndrome around the world.” Karen Gaffney, Disability Rights Cha

“We’re raising the concern in Pennsylvania because of some tragic trends in European countries. In Iceland, they’ve become notorious for the claim that Down syndrome has been nearly eliminated. What they fail to mention is that Iceland has a 100 percent abortion rate of pre-born child

House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) and Rep. Judy Ward (R-Blair) issued the following press release:  House Speaker Mike Turzai and Rep. Judy Ward are introducing legislation that would prohibit the abortion of a child due solely to a diagnosis of possible Down syndrome. Down synd

The Pennsylvania Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to advance Senate Bill 623 on December 12, 2017, kicking off the legislative process. There are many more steps before it could become law. The measure would codify the use of Pennsylvania Orders for Life Su

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is taking a mid-session break and will resume session late in January 2018. 2017 was a very busy year and more issues are on the horizon for 2018. Here is the status of the several high priority bills that are on the legislative agenda of the Pennsylv

From the USCCB — Today’s decision to expand the HHS mandate exemption is a “return to common sense, long-standing federal practice, and peaceful coexistence between church and state,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Cardinal Dan

From the USCCB — Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, urged the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R. 36). It is expected to come to the House floor the firs