The state of Alabama's House of Representatives has passed House Bill 230 (voted 78-21) on Tuesday. This Bill limits when and how officers and guards in penal facilities can restrain and shackle incarcerated pregnant or birthing women. It also places stricter parameters around when and by who a pregnant woman can undergo a vaginal exam or the humiliating process of 'squatting & coughing' for search purposes. This Bill is giving way to certain federal laws being implemented within state penal facilities.
The Bill must now pass the Senate, but with only two weeks remaining in the legislative session, there may not be enough time.
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