Repro Rights Report

More than 240 anti-abortion bills introduced so far

Posted on March 10, 2016

This is a compendium of more than 241 anti-abortion rights bills that have been introduced in the current legislative session as of March 8, 2016.

Below are some of the highlights.

Legislation proclaiming the “Right to Life”

Missouri HJR 98 creates a constitutional amendment that would affirm the Right to Life. Iowa SJR 2001 Proclaims that there is no fundamental right to abortion. Rhode Island HB 7206 and SB 2218create the Fetal Protection Act and Michigan HB 4787 would prohibit coercing abortion.

See the model legislation Abortion is Health Care from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights in order to combat these type of laws and the model legislation Respect Women’s Abortion Decisions Act from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights to codify the fundamental right to abortion.

Legislation defining life

Alabama HB 300, Iowa HB 2142, Maryland HJR 7, Virginia HR 19, and Virginia HJR 29 would define life as beginning at conception. New York SB 2532 would allow a fetus at any stage of gestation to be a victim of an assault. New Hampshire HB 560 would define “another” in criminal statutes including murder and manslaughter to include a fetus.

See the model legislation, Respect Women’s Abortion Decisions Act from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights to codify the fundamental right to abortion.

Legislation regulating late term abortion

Alaska SB 179, Arizona SB 1474, Michigan SB 704, SB 705, HB 4833, SB 4834, Nebraska LB 767, New Jersey AB 1700, New Mexico SB 242, New Mexico SB 243, Rhode Island HB 7611, Rhode Island SB 2216, Rhode Island HB 7282, South Carolina SB 531, South Carolina HB 4634, West Virginia HB 4004, Virginia SB 23, Virginia SB 10, and Utah HB 442 would prohibit later term abortions and stigmatize a particular procedure by referring to it as ‘partial birth abortions’ or ‘fetal dismemberment’. New Hampshire HB 1625 and New Jersey SB 1352 ban post viability abortions.

Michigan HB 4146 would require abortion after a certain gestation to be performed in a hospital.

See the model legislation Qualified Providers of Abortion Act and Access to Medication Abortion Actfrom the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights in order to expand access to abortion.

Legislation outright limiting abortion

Two bills in Oklahoma, SB 1368 and SB 1483, ban abortion outright.

Two bills, Illinois HB 4421 and Kentucky HB 257 create 20-week bans on abortion.

Iowa SB 2055 would ban abortions for fetuses that are a certain size and would create feticide.

Legislation limiting access to abortion through coverage and public resources

South Carolina SB 122 prohibits abortion coverage for state employees.

West Virginia SB 571 would prohibit abortion coverage. Kentucky HB 61, Kentucky SB 7, MarylandHB 1357, Mississippi SB 2326, New Hampshire HB 1684, South Carolina HB 4538, Washington HB 2294, Washington 2754, West Virginia HB 2440 would prohibit the use of public funds for abortion.

New Jersey AB 111 would require incarcerated women to cover the full cost of abortion.

See the model legislation, Abortion Coverage Equity Act from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights to ensure abortion coverage for all women.

Legislation limiting access to abortion for minors

New Jersey SCR 29 and ACR 89 would create a constitutional amendment requiring parental notification for abortion. Indiana SB 392, Missouri HB 1370, and New York AB 4771 further restricts minor access to abortion. New York AB 7119, New York AB 6473, Washington SB 5289, WashingtonHB 1493, , West Virginia HB 2172, and West Virginia 2371 would require parental notification or consent for a minor seeking an abortion.

Missouri HB 2127 and West Virginia HB 2715 would prohibit transporting a minor across state lines for an abortion without consent.

Legislation regulating abortion providers and clinics

There are two bills, Alabama HB 301 and SB 205 that would prevent abortion clinics from being built within 2000 feet of a school.

South Carolina SB 92 would limit abortion procedures to physicians and would require that a provider have admitting privileges. Kansas HB 2658 would require all abortion providers to disclose that they perform abortion to all, even non abortion, patients.

South Dakota HB 1123 would require targeted abortion facility inspections.

Tennessee HB 2076 and SB 1986 would require abortion providers to provide their financial records.

Michigan SB 27, Missouri HB 2329, Tennessee SB 1985, Tennessee HB 2438, Tennessee HB 2075, Tennessee SB 2330, Illinois HB 5817,and Georgia HB 555 would require specific reporting.

Wisconsin AB 310 and SB 237 would create an affiliate ban. Michigan HB 4883, North Carolina HB 596, and Alaska HB 352 would prohibit anyone associated with an abortion clinic to teach sexual health and education in schools. West Virginia HB 2458 prohibits school employees from promoting abortion. Michigan SB 575 would prohibit the state to contract with abortion providers.

Arizona SB 1217, Arizona SB 1216, and Arizona HB 2641 would prohibit an abortion clinic from being classified as a charitable organization. Arizona SB 1485 would prohibit payroll charitable deductions that would go to abortion clinics.

West Virginia HB 2568 would prohibit state funded transportation for abortion.

Kentucky HB 481 would create a statute of limitation on actions against abortion provider of 20 years.

Florida HB 1, Florida SB 602, Mississippi SB 2297, Colorado HB 1203, Kentucky HB 346, MichiganSB 573, Arizona SB 1324, Florida HB 233, Indiana HB 1337, Missouri SB 644, Missouri HB 1953 are targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP laws).

Kentucky HB 492, Mississippi HB 1102, Mississippi SB 2661, New Hampshire HB 1399, New York AB 3048 would require onerous inspections for abortion clinics or an arduous licensing process not required of similar medical facilities.

New Hampshire HB 1570 would repeal the enacted buffer zone.

See the model legislation Protect Physician Integrity from Political Interference, Prevent Double Standards in Abortion Regulation Act, Keep Abortion Clinics Open Act, and Prevent Anti-Abortion Terrorism from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights in order to oppose these types of laws.

Legislation perpetuating deception and misinformation

Missouri SB 883, South Dakota HB 1157, South Dakota HB 1212, and Virginia HB 1326 require giving state mandated materials to women seeking referrals for abortion providers out of state.

Alabama HB 183, Colorado HB 1218, Florida HB 865, Florida SB 1718, Indiana SB 313, Indiana SB 374, Kentucky HB 482, Kentucky SB 152, Maryland SB 626, New Jersey AB 689, New Jersey SB 476, New York AB 3717, New York SB 178, Rhode Island HB 7313, South Carolina HB 4629, Tennessee HB 1459, and Tennessee SB 1769 would require women seeking an abortion to be given state mandated materials filled with medical inaccuracies and lies, and or a mandated ultrasound.

See the model legislation, Abortion with Dignity Act from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights.

Legislation supporting crisis pregnancy centers

Michigan HB 4140, and Nebraska LB 768 create Choose Life License Plates that would benefit Crisis Pregnancy Centers. Georgia SR 820 is a resolution supporting CPCs.

California AB 2775 would require abortion clinics to distribute information on CPCs.

See the model legislation Truth in Medicine, Pregnancy Center Disclosure Act, and Crisis Pregnancy Center Fraud Prevention Act from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights in order to oppose this type of legislation.

Legislation regarding or addressing fetal status, condition, or protection

Colorado HB 1146, Hawaii HB 2763, New Mexico HB 275, and New Mexico HB 101 would require a report of fetus being born alive that show signs of life.

Alabama SB 9, Alabama HB 21, Indiana SB 144, Michigan HB 4241, New York AB 3725, Ohio HB 69, Oklahoma SB 1118, Rhode Island HB 7170, and South Carolina SB 96 all ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which happens during the first trimester.

Maryland HB 603, Maryland SB 749, Maryland HB 603, Michigan HB 4551, Michigan HB 4852, New Hampshire HB 1328, New Hampshire HB 1636, New Jersey AB 1703, New York AB 8078, South Carolina SB 28, South Carolina SB 130, South Carolina SB 25, South Carolina HB 3114, South Dakota SB 72, Wisconsin AB 237, and Wisconsin SB 179 ban abortions past a certain point based on the unsupported theory that a fetus is capable of feeling pain at this point in gestation.

Michigan HB 4279, Missouri HB 1714, and South Dakota HB 1110 create the Unborn Children’s Protection Act.

Mississippi HB 531, Mississippi SB 2115, Mississippi SB 2546, and South Carolina HB 4759 create the Unborn Infants Dignity Act.

Hawaii HB 1778 creates the unlawful killing when a person causes injury to a pregnant person or fetus death of an infant who was born alive.

Legislation addressing fetal tissue research

Thirty four bills would prohibit the abortion specifically for fetal research or the profiting from fetal tissue: Colorado HB 1200, Florida HB 1411, Florida SB 1722, Georgia HB 762, Idaho SB 1349, IowaHB 2140, Iowa SB 2140, Kentucky SB 61, Kentucky SB 25, Michigan HB 5086, Michigan HB 5087, Michigan HB 4831, Michigan SB 564, Michigan SB 565, Missouri HB 2068, Missouri HB 2071, Missouri HB 2247, Missouri HB 2371, Missouri HB 2017, Nebraska LB 990, New Hampshire HB 1663, New Jersey AB 1705, New Jersey AB 1710, New Jersey SB 1538, Ohio HB 417, Oklahoma HB 2604, South Dakota SB 24, Tennessee SB 1624, Tennessee SB 2522, Tennessee HB 2518, Tennessee SB 2568, Tennessee HB 1709, Tennessee HB 2577, Wisconsin AB 305, and WisconsinSB 260.

Missouri HB 2069 creates the whistle-blower protection in abortion fetal facilities.

Legislation banning abortion for selective reasons

Hawaii HB 2662, Missouri SB 802, New Hampshire HB 1623, and Oklahoma HB 3128 ban abortions for genetic anomalies or down syndrome diagnosis.

Oregon HB 4070, Washington SB 6612, West Virginia HB 2031, Missouri HB 1815, and New York AB 6545 would ban sex-selective abortion.

Legislation restricting access and use of medication abortion

Indiana HB 1263 and Iowa HB 2084 either restricts medication to in-person visits or bans medication abortion through telemedicine and South Carolina SB 34 and New Hampshire HB 1662 ban the use of the medically accepted off-label dosage of medication abortion and requires that only physicians provide it.

See the model legislation, Access to Medication Abortion Act from the Public Leadership Institute’s Playbook for Abortion Rights in order to expand access to abortion.

Refusal Clause

Alabama HB 159, Iowa SB 118, Michigan HB 4309, and New Hampshire HB 1570 would create a refusal clause allowing providers to refuse to perform abortions.