HB223 Alabama 2012 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Randy WoodRepresentative
Republican
Co-Sponsors: David Sessions Ken Johnson Mac Buttram Becky Nordgren Richard Baughn Wes Long Ed Henry Lynn Greer William Roberts Terri Collins Kerry Rich Mary Sue McClurkin Richard J. Laird Duwayne Bridges Jim Carns
Session: Regular Session 2012
Title: Abortion, require physician involvement, define terms, express intent, require certain standard in treatment and care, require reporting, require Board of Health adopt rules and provide penalties
Summary: HB223 would impose comprehensive health and safety standards on abortion centers, require physician involvement and in-person patient care, and establish reporting and penalties for noncompliance.
What This Bill Does
The bill requires abortions to be performed only by a physician and mandates physician presence on-site during procedures, with hospital privileges in the same metro area to handle complications. It sets strict nursing supervision and care standards, including procedures for anesthesia, tissue examination, and postoperative and follow-up care. It also requires facility life-safety and building standards, reporting of abortions (and certain information about minors and fathers), and Board of Health rulemaking with criminal and civil penalties for violations.

Who It Affects
Patients seeking abortions (including minors): face enhanced medical supervision, physician involvement requirements, and potential reporting requirements and penalties for noncompliance by facilities.
Abortion and reproductive health centers and administrators/staff: must meet new staffing, facility, reporting, licensure, and enforcement rules, with possible license actions and penalties for violations.

Key Provisions
Section 3: Only a physician may perform an abortion.
Section 4: Nursing care must be supervised by a licensed RN; at least one RN on duty for care before, during, and after the procedure.
Section 6: A physician must stay on the facility premises during the abortion and have hospital privileges in the same metro area to treat complications; discharge orders must be signed by the physician and patients provided with the on-call physician's contact information.
Section 7: A physician must personally examine the patient and document gestational age and intrauterine location before providing abortion-inducing drugs.
Section 8: Physicians performing abortions must meet office-based surgery rules, moderate sedation guidelines, follow-up care standards, recovery area requirements, and reporting/registration requirements.
Section 9: New or renovated centers must meet NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and ambulatory occupancy standards; architectural and sprinkler plans must be submitted; license revocation and/or certificate of occupancy must be obtained if deadlines are missed.
Section 10: For minors under 16, the physician or agent should obtain the name and age of the father; certain age-difference scenarios trigger mandatory reporting to law enforcement and child services, while parental consent rules remain in effect.
Section 11: Board of Health must publish amended rules within 180 days; rules take effect per the Administrative Procedure Act.
Section 12: Violations by non-physician staff, or failure to perform in-person examinations before abortion-inducing drugs, carry criminal penalties; center administrators can face felonies or misdemeanors for certain violations.
Section 13: Patients may bring civil actions for damages against facilities or administrators for failure to comply with the act.
Section 14: Violations by physicians, nurses, or centers can lead to licensure actions, including license revocation.
Section 15: Courts can issue restraining orders or injunctions to stop violations of the act.
Section 16: The act does not create a right to abortion and does not legalize abortions where they are unlawful; it works with existing abortion laws.
Section 19: Provision clarifies that the act is exempt from local funding rules because it creates a new crime or changes an existing one.
Section 20: The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after governor action or approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Abortion