What level of regulatory oversight does the surgical procedure of abortion require?

That question stands at the heart of a press conference that took place in the state capitol today.

House Democrats presented a new bill that will repeal a law from 2011. That law requires clinics with abortion services to maintain facilities according to ambulatory surgical center standards.

“The law forced clinics that provided abortion services to obtain and maintain burdensome and unnecessary expensive structural modifications to their health centers," said Rep. Tarik Khan (D-194). "Such modifications included mandating specialized elevators, specialized flooring, specialized HVAC units...”

The regulations placed on ambulatory surgical facilities (ASF) can be found here.

Democrat speakers today said that clinical abortion services should not require ASF standards, pointing out that private offices that do operations like vasectomy's or dental surgery are not held to the standards. 

“Imposing those unnecessary facility standards that may lead to more closures," said Rep. Gina Curry (D-164). "When you think about the fact there are 17 clinics left in Pennsylvania, where are women who can’t get access supposed to go?”

Pennsylvania Family Institute, a Pro-Life organization, was also present at the press conference.

“We think that the health and safety of women is at risk when they go into an abortion clinic that’s not regulated with health and safety inspections by the state of Pennsylvania," said Michael Geer, president of Pennsylvania Family Institute. 

“If you go in to get knee surgery or hernia surgery, or verrucose vein surgery, those regulations apply," said Geer, "because Pennsylvania regulators understand that guidelines need to be put in place so people can feel safe when they go in and get a procedure done to them.”

The official language of the bill has not been released yet.