The nation’s strongest abortion clinic regulation bill, SB 924, was passed in the Virginia Senate, today, February 24, 2011 on a vote of 20 to 20 with Lt Governor Bill Bolling casting his tie-breaking vote in favor of the bill, making the final vote 21-20.

SB 924 has previously passed the Virginia House of Delegates on February 21, 2011 by a vote of 67-32.

Here is the official summary of SB 924:

Requires the Board of Health to promulgate regulations containing minimum standards for policies related to infection prevention, disaster preparedness, and facility security of hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities. This bill provides that minimum standards for construction, maintenance, operation, staffing, equipping, staff qualifications and training, conditions under which services may be provided, as well as requirements for policies related to infection prevention, disaster preparedness, and facility security for hospitals, nursing homes, and certified nursing facilities shall also apply to any facility in which five or more first trimester abortions per month are performed, and that such facilities shall be classified as a category of hospital for the purposes of such requirements. This bill requires the Board of Health to promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this act within 280 days of enactment.

Gov. Bob McDonnell has said he will sign the bill into law.

Mike Sharman, a resident of Foothills of Faith Farm in Madison County, Virginia, has served as an attorney and guardian for children for more than two decades. Mike writes a weekly editorial column published by the Culpeper Star-Exponent and others, and has written Faith of the Fathers: Religion and Matters of Faith Contained in the Presidents’ Inaugural Addresses from George Washington to George W. Bush. He also has a work in progress, to be entitled Endowed By Our Creator: Documentary Evidence of Our Christian Heritage. You may contact him at [email protected]