In Virginia, the General Assembly offered a bill in 1894, proposed by House Republicans, to allow pregnant women to use HOV lanes, typically reserved for folks who share a ride or carpool together, with one or more persons in any car.
According to the proposed legislation, pregnant individuals driving in the HOV lane are required to carry documentation of their pregnancy at all times in order to utilize the lanes and prevent being stopped by law enforcement. Alternatively, individuals could simply register their pregnancy with the state. Typically, a police officer may not immediately identify a driver as pregnant when observing a car with a single occupant, leading to potential misuse of the lane. In such situations, law enforcement officers may face a dilemma.
A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any pregnant woman shall be considered two people for determining occupancy in high-occupancy vehicle lanes and HOT lanes, provided that (i) such lane is monitored by a photo-enforcement system and the pregnant person has notified the Department as provided in this section and has her registered toll collection device in the vehicle or (ii) the pregnant woman provides proof of pregnancy when stopped by a law-enforcement officer for a violation of this chapter.
B. The Department shall establish a process whereby any pregnant woman who is the registered user of a toll collection device can certify to the Department that she is pregnant and flag such toll collection device as being used by a pregnant woman. The Department shall coordinate with all operators of photo-enforcement systems and establish a process to recognize any such woman as two people for determining occupancy in high-occupancy vehicle lanes and HOT lanes. Such woman shall not be issued any citation or required to refute a citation issued via a photo-enforcement system, provided that she has properly registered with the Department pursuant to this subsection.
The person who needs to be alerted no longer needs to be pregnant. However, the registration of pregnancy will be accessible to the courts. This bill describes the limits on the information about citizens’ pregnancy that will be open to the public, as well as agencies, advertisements, and solicitors.
This is a terrible idea, especially for any pregnant person looking to engage in reproductive choices and make decisions about their health or experience pregnancy losses. Over-zealous prosecutors who are looking to punish people for making choices about their reproductive health, even if they have experienced pregnancy losses or are hungry, could invite legal repercussions for uncontrollable bodily events and interfere directly with your healthcare, potentially risking your rights to abortion in a hostile state.
NPR reports that beyond their limiting jurisdictions, we have already investigated the potential threat that license plate readers could present to individuals in need of medical assistance. In 2019, a Californian woman endured a 16-month imprisonment without criminal charges following a stillbirth. USA Today presents the ongoing instance of an Oklahoma woman who is presently serving a five-year sentence for manslaughter following a miscarriage of a non-viable fetus.
The HOV bill was presented on the identical day as the legislation for the 15-week prohibition in the state legislature. Yahoo News states that Democrats probably converted another position in the assembly, significantly reducing the Republicans’ authority. The request for a 15-week prohibition on abortion currently appears improbable following Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The well-being of the mother is at risk if the abortion is beyond the second trimester, and inhabitants can still receive an abortion in the state up to 26 weeks of pregnancy. The Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade during the summer, but Virginia’s abortion legislation remained unaltered.