HB317 Alabama 2021 Session

Sponsors

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Abortion, chemical abortion, doctors required to inform of possibility of reversing chemical abortions, cause of action and criminal penalties provided

Description

Existing law provides for the administration of abortion-inducing drugs

This bill would require medical professionals to dispense information about the effects of abortion-inducing drugs, as well as information pertaining to the reversal of abortion-inducing drugs and would provide for private causes of action and for criminal and civil penalties

This bill would provide for the creation and maintenance of a website containing information about abortion-inducing drugs

This bill would provide that if a physician determines a medical emergency necessitates an abortion, the physician performing the abortion shall inform the woman upon whom the abortion is to be performed of the basis for his or her medical judgment

This bill would provide that any person who provides or induces an abortion in violation of this act is guilty of a Class C felony

This bill would also provide that if a woman is administered an abortion-inducing drug resulting in an abortion in violation of this bill, the woman, the father of the unborn child, or a grandparent of the unborn child, may maintain an action against the individual who performed the abortion in certain circumstances

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended by Amendment 890, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment

Relating to abortion; to require that an administrator of an abortion-inducing drug notify a woman that it may be possible to reverse the effects of a chemical abortion if the woman changes her mind about the abortion; to require the Alabama Department of Public Health to maintain a website with information regarding abortion-inducing drugs; to provide a cause of action if this act is violated; to provide for criminal penalties if an abortion is performed or induced in violation of this act; to provide certain family members of women who receive certain abortions with a cause of action in certain circumstances; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended by Amendment 890, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901.

Subjects

Abortion