Duvall Project News & Events

News and Events

• July 2010 Governor Rendell signs the Health Birth for Incarcerated Women Act (SB 1074), which bans PA prisons and county jails from shackling pregnant inmates during childbirth.
• May 2010 ACLU of PA, Planned Parenthood, Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, and Women’s Way travel to Harrisburg to stage a demonstration supporting comprehensive sex-ed.  The Healthy Youth Act bill sponsor Representative Chelsa Wagner holds press conference to illustrate the 1 in 4 teen girls with an STD and the need for comprehensive sex-ed in PA.
• April 2010 Pennsylvania House Education Committee passes the Healthy Youth Act (HB 1163), which would create a minimum standard of sex education in all Pennsylvania public schools.
• March 2010 President Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The President also signed an executive order maintaining the ban on the use of federal funds to pay for abortion except for cases of rape, incest, or if the life of the woman is in danger, established by the Hyde Amendment. Women will have to choose whether to purchase a health plan that covers abortion.  If they do, they will have to make two separate payments for their health insurance: one for abortion and one for the remainder of their premium.
• December 2009 ACLU of PA staff travel with representatives from Planned Parenthood, Women’s Way, Maternity Care Coalition, CHOICE, and others as part of Raising Women’s Voices to Washington, D.C. to STOP STUPAK!
• October 2009 The 30th Anniversary of the Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Project!  Founders Linn Duvall Harwell and Representative Babette Josephs to celebrate the continued work of the Duvall Project.
• April 2009 Following a court order, the FDA lowers the age at which individuals can receive emergency contraception without a prescription to 17. A government-issues I.D. must be presented to purchase the medication, which is stocked behind the counter in pharmacies. Individuals ages 16 and under still require a prescription.
• February 24, 2009 The School District of Pittsburgh decides to adopt comprehensive sexuality education as a result of efforts from Duvall and other organizations. Their curriculum is serving as a model for other school districts around the country.

• Spring 2008 Lehigh Valley: Tell Us Your Pro-Choice Story Short Video Showcase!

• January 22, 2008 marks the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

• January 22, 2007 marks the 34th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

• November 2006 Emergency contraceptive (Plan B) is made available to individuals ages 18 and older in pharmacies nationwide. A government-issued I.D. must be presented to purchase the medication, which is stocked behind the counters in pharmacies. Individuals age 17 and younger still require a prescription.

• October 11, 2006 Program on Emergency Contraception for Rape Victims in Williamsport Join the Williamsport chapters of the ACLU and NOW for a Boston Legal Viewing Party and learn more about the critical role of emergency contraception for rape victims and current state of comprehensive, compassionate medical treatment for rape victims in PA!

• October 6, 2006 The ACLU of PA sent a Memorandum to PA Senate About Senate Bill 990. Senate Bill 990 is more commonly referred to the Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies (CARE) Act. This legislation was recently amended to include provisions that the ACLU of PA does not support. The ACLU of PA supports the original version of the CARE Act because it would have provided a strong set of requirements for hospitals and health care facilities that provide services to sexual assault victims and guaranteed comprehensive medical care for rape victims in PA emergency rooms.

• September 2006 30th Anniversary of the Hyde Amendment Participate in the Hyde-30 Years is Enough! campaign to bring attention to three decades of injustice caused by the Hyde Amendment and state bans on public funding for abortion care.

• September 2006 PA Department of Health Applies for Title V Funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs after two years of rejecting this restrictive federal funding.

• September 5, 2006 Broad Coalition Asks Pennsylvania Schools to Provide Effective Sexuality Education to Protect Youth

• August 2006 Specter Pours More Money Into Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Senator Specter's earmarks have taken tax payer dollars away from "funds for child abuse discretionary activities" and provided an additional $2.9 million dollars in fiscal year 2007 for biased and ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.

• August 24, 2006 FDA approves over-the-counter sales of emergency contraceptive, Plan B, for women (and men) ages 18 and older. A photo I.D. must be presented to purchase the medication, which will be stocked behind the counters in pharmacies nationwide by mid-November. Younger women age 17 and younger will still require a prescription.

• July 25, 2006 Rape Patient Twice-Victimized in Lebanon, PA Harrisburg's The Patriot-News

  featured an article about a rape patient that was denied emergency contraception by an ER doctor at Good Samaritan Hospital. Read more and learn how you can help protect victims' rights to comprehensive medical care in PA!

• January 19, 2006 Advocates Urge States to Ensure Access to Emergency Contraception for Rape Victims

• January 2005 Press Release Dept. of Justice Omits EC from Rape Victim Protocol (34k PDF)