Local governments should not force married female migrant workers at child-bearing age to return to their hometowns for pregnancy tests, according to a draft regulation drafted by the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council.

The draft regulation on family planning of migrant workers, which was put on the Internet Monday to solicit public opinions, stipulated measures to improve the way China's family planning policy is enforced among migrant workers.

It stipulated the cities, where the migrant workers currently live, should provide them with basic technical service on childbearing for free, including pregnancy tests, train them with safe and effective contraceptive measures, and provide certificates of their childbearing and conception control status.

Previously, some local family planning commissions required migrant women workers of child-bearing age, who have been working outside their hometowns but with their "hukou" - household registration certificates - still only valid at home, to take regular pregnancy tests in their hometowns.

Local officials will get punished if they force the migrant workers to return for pregnancy tests or refused to acknowledge the certificates issued by cities the migrant workers currently live in, according to the draft regulation.

According to statistics, China has some 150 million migrant workers, more than 70 percent of whom are aged between 15 and 35.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2008)