Bill > HSB672

This Study Bill establishes new requirements for medication abortions, which are abortions induced by specific drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol, aiming to ensure informed consent for patients. It mandates that facilities performing these procedures must post prominent signs informing patients that medication abortions may not always be effective and that their effects might be reversible, advising them to consult a healthcare professional. Furthermore, before a medication abortion can be performed, except in medical emergencies, a physician or their agent must obtain written confirmation from the pregnant woman that she has been informed, either by phone or in person, about the risks of the procedure, the possibility of reversing its effects if she changes her mind, and where to find information and assistance for reversal, with the Department of Public Health being responsible for providing these resources online. The bill also requires that after dispensing the abortion-inducing drug, patients receive written discharge instructions containing the same reversal information, and that physicians document compliance with these requirements in the patient's medical record, with failure to comply potentially leading to disciplinary action against the physician's license.