442.260 - Health Division to adopt regulations governing performance and reporting of abortions.

442.260  Health Division to adopt regulations governing performance and reporting of abortions.

      1.  The Health Division shall adopt and enforce regulations governing the conditions under and the methods by which abortions may be performed, the reasonable minimum qualifications of a person authorized to provide the information required in NRS 442.253, as well as all other aspects pertaining to the performance of abortions pursuant to NRS 442.250.

      2.  The Health Division shall adopt and enforce regulations for a system for reporting abortions. This system must be designed to preserve confidentiality of information on the identity of women upon whom abortions are performed. The Health Division may require that the following items be reported for each abortion:

      (a) The date of the abortion;

      (b) The place of the abortion including the city, county and state;

      (c) The type of facility;

      (d) The usual residence of the woman, including the city, county and state;

      (e) Her age;

      (f) Her ethnic group or race;

      (g) Her marital status;

      (h) The number of previous live births;

      (i) The number of previous induced abortions;

      (j) The duration of her pregnancy, as measured from first day of last normal menses to date of abortion, and as estimated by uterine size prior to performance of the abortion;

      (k) The type of abortion procedure; and

      (l) If a woman has had a previously induced abortion, the information in paragraphs (a) to (k), inclusive, or as much thereof as can be reasonably obtained, for each previous abortion.

      3.  The Health Division may adopt regulations to permit studies of individual cases of abortion, but these studies must not be permitted unless:

      (a) Absolute assurance is provided that confidentiality of information on the persons involved will be preserved;

      (b) Informed consent of each person involved in the study is obtained in writing;

      (c) The study is conducted according to established standards and ethics; and

      (d) The study is related to problems of health and has scientific merit with regard to both design and the importance of the problems to be solved.

      (Added to NRS by 1973, 1638; A 1973, 1406; 1985, 2310)