May 31, 2011 marked the two year anniversary of the murder of Dr. George Tiller, a reproductive health physician in Wichita, Kansas who provided late-term abortions for women in need. Since Dr. Tiller was killed, states across the country have continued to pass laws aimed at limiting access to this legal medical procedure.
Alabama:
- 6/2011 Established certificate of stillbirth
Alaska:
- 4/2010 Establishes intrusive abortion reporting requirements
- 7/2009 Requires counseling at clinic and at least 24 hour waiting period before abortion performed
- 7/2009 Late-term ("partial-birth") abortion ban
- 7/2009 Parental consent must be notarized
- 7/2009 Limits abortion provision to physicians
- 7/2009 Amended state's abortion refusal clause allowing health care providers to refuse to participate in an abortion
- 7/2009 Established that providers, pharmacists, and hospitals/employees may refuse to provide Plan B or contraceptives that prevent implantation of a fertilized egg
- 4/2010 Bans or limits abortion coverage in state exchange
- 4/2010 Limits abortion coverage in the State Employee Plan to life endangerment and severe health
- 4/2010 Limits state funding to life endangerment, rape and incest
- 4/2010 Establishes intrusive abortion reporting requirements
- 5/2010 Grants parents the right to access a minor's medical records and to make health care decisions for a minor
- 3/2011 Bans abortion for gender or race selection
- 4/2011 Prohibits use of telemedicine to provide medication-induced abortion
- 4/2011 Requires an ultrasound before an abortion
- 4/2011 Requires facilities that provide at least 10 abortions per month meet abortion clinic requirements
- 4/2011 Prohibits physician assistants from providing abortions
- 4/2011 Prohibits nurses from providing abortions
- 4/2011 Prohibits state funds or tuition to pay for abortion training at public universities
Colorado:
- 3/2010 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
- 3/2011 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
Florida:
Idaho:
- 6/2011 Requires ultrasound before an abortion
- 6/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 6/2011 Amends the judicial bypass process for minors
Idaho:
- 3/2010 Abortion refusal clause amended to include additional medical providers
- 3/2010 Medical providers may refuse to provide family planning and emergency contraception
- 3/2010 Employer (of provider) must accommodate refusal except when it causes an "undue hardship"
- 4/2011 Bans abortion at/after 20 weeks
- 4/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 4/2011 Amends abortion reporting requirements
Indiana:
- 3/2010 Continued restrictions on state abortion funding
- 4/2011 Requires reporting on abortions for minors
- 4/2011 Amends abortion reporting requirements
- 5/2011 Bans abortion at/after 20 weeks
- 5/2011 Requires counseling to inform the woman that the fetus is a person
- 5/2011 Requires counseling on fetal pain
- 5/2011 Revises counseling requirements
- 5/2011 Requires an ultrasound before an abortion
- 5/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 5/2011 Requires abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges
- 5/2011 Requires state to develop new regulations on abortion clinics
- 5/2011 Amends judicial bypass process for minors seeking an abortion
- 5/2011 Prohibits state from contracting with an abortion provider, except hospitals and abulatory surgery centers for contraception
- 3/2010 Continues restrictions on state funding
Kansas:
- 5/2010 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 4/2011 Bans abortion at/after 20 weeks
- 4/2011 Limits post-viability abortion
- 4/2011 Revises "Partial-Birth" abortion restriction to mirror federal law
- 4/2011 Requires abortion counseling to state that abortion ends "the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being"
- 4/2011 Requires parental consent for a minor can obtain an abortion
- 4/2011 Amends judicial bypass process for minors
- 4/2011 Requires reporting on abortions for minors
- 4/2011 Amends abortion reporting requirements
- 4/2011 Requires counseling to inform the woman that the fetus is a person
- 5/2011 Requires an ultrasound before an abortion
- 5/2011 Bans use of telemedicine
- 5/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 5/2011 Limits abortion coverage in all private health plans
- 5/2011 Continues funding alternatives to abortion services
- 5/2011 Establishes a priority system to allocate family planning funds
Louisiana:
- 6/2009 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion service**
- 7/2009 Amended state's abortion refusal clause allowing providers to refuse to participate in an abortion
- 6/2010 Allows the state to close an abortion clinic for violation of any state or federal law
- 7/2010 Limits or bans abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 7/2010 Amends state mandate for ultrasound to require provider to offer description and picture of fetal image
- 7/2010 Excludes any provider who provides an "elective" abortion after viability from medical malpractice protection
Maryland:
- 4/2010 Continues restrictions on state funding
- 5/2011 Continues restrictions on state funding of abortions in Medicaid
Michigan:
- 10/2009 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
- 10/2010 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
- 6/2011 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
Mississippi:
- 5/2010 Bans or limits abortion coverage in state exchange
- 3/2011 Requires all schools to provide abstinence-only education; requires state approval for contraception education
Missouri:
- 6/2009 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 6/2010 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 7/2010 Limits or bans abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 7/2010 Requires counseling about fetal pain and requires provision of anesthesia for the fetus upon request
- 7/2010 Requires counseling on when life begins, including printed materials that state "The life of each human being begins at conception," and abortion "ends the life of a separate, unique, living human being."
- 7/2010 Includes counseling regarding coercion of abortion
- 7/2010 Provider must offer ultrasound to each patient seeking an abortion
- 6/2011 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
Nebraska:
- 4/2010 Bans abortions after 20 weeks gestation
- 4/2010 Requires counseling to possibly include flawed information about "risks associated with complications"
- 5/2010 Requires provider to offer a woman a list of organizations that perform free ultrasounds
- 5/2011 Bans use of telemedicine
- 5/2011 Abortion coverage limited in all private health plans
- 5/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 5/2011 Requires parental consent for minors
- 5/2011 Amends judicial bypass process for minors
- 5/2011 Requires reporting on abortions for minors
New Jersey:
North Carolina:
- 6/2011 Requires parental notification for minors
North Carolina:
- 5/2011 Establishes fetal homicide law
- 6/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state employee health plan
- 6/2011 Establishes "Choose Life" license plates
- 6/2011 Prohibits state from contracting with or granting funds to Planned Parenthood
- 6/2011 Establishes certificate of stillbirth
- 4/2011 Requires counseling to include inaccurate information stating having an abortion increases risk for breast cancer
- 4/2011 Revises counseling requirements
- 4/2011 Limits provision to physicians
- 4/2011 Prohibits use of telemedicine
- 4/2011 Requires provider to contract a physician with hospital privileges to handle complications
- 4/2011 Amends judicial bypass process for minors
- 4/2011 Requires reporting on abortions for minors
- 4/2011 Amends abortion reporting requirements
- 5/2011 Requires abstinence before marriage (abstinence only) sex education
- 4/2010 Limits medication-induced abortion to physicians and requires detailed counseling
- 4/2010 Mandates ultrasound and requires provider to show and describe the image to the woman
- 4/2010 Prohibits lawsuit if physician's failure to provide information led the woman to continue the pregnancy
- 4/2010 Requires clinics to post notices that a woman cannot be coerced into an abortion
- 4/2010 Abortion refusal clause amended to include additional medical providers
- 4/2010 Abortion refusal clause amended to include additional institutions
- 4/2010 Employer (of provider) must accommodate refusal except when it causes an "undue hardship"
- 5/2010 Established intrusive abortion reporting requirements
- 4/2011 Bans abortion at/after 20 weeks
- 4/2011 Abortion coverage limited in all private health plans
- 4/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 4/2011 Amends abortion reporting requirements
- 5/2011 Bans the use of telemedicine
Pennsylvania:
- 8/2009 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 7/2010 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 6/2011 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
South Carolina:
- 6/2010 Bans or limits abortion coverage in state employee health insurance plan
- 6/2010 Extends waiting period between mandatory counseling and obtaining an abortion to 24 hours
- 3/2011 Waiting period extended from 24 to 72 hours
- 3/2011 Requires visit to a crisis pregnancy center before an abortion
- 3/2011 Requires counseling, including flawed information about "risks associated" with complications
- 6/2009 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
- 4/2010 Requires clinics to post notices that a woman cannot be coerced into an abortion
- 5/2010 Bans or limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 6/2011 Establishes or expands fetal homicide law
Texas:
- 6/2009 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
- 6/2009 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 5/2011 Requires in-person counseling for women who live within 100 miles of abortion facility
- 5/2011 Requires an ultrasound before an abortion
- 5/2011 Amends abortion reporting requirements
- 5/2011 Creates "Choose Life" license plates
- 6/2011 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 6/2011 Establishes a priority system to allocate family planning funds
- 6/2011 Continues state family planning funding restrictions
- 3/2010 Requires provider to offer to display image and provide description if ultrasound performed before abortion
- 3/2010 Considers some miscarriages murder
- 3/2010 Prohibits self-induced abortion
- 3/2011 Abortion coverage limited in all private health plans
- 3/2011 Limits abortion coverage in insurance plans offered in the state health exchange
- 3/2011 Requires state to develop new regulations for abortion clinics
- 3/2011 Establishes "Choose Life" state license plates
- 3/2011 Parental consent required for most minors seeking HPV vaccine
- 3/2011 Allows public and non-religious hospitals and any health clinic to refuse to perform an abortion services
- 3/2011 Allows any hospital or clinic employee to refuse to participate in an abortion
- 5/2011 Revises counseling requirements
- 4/2010 Limits state funding to life endangerment, rape and incest
- 4/2010 Establishes a Pro-Choice license plate, with $15 of the $25 fee going to the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund. This fund is run by the Virginia Board of Health which supports predominantly anti-choice programs.
- 3/2011 Requires state to develop new regulations for abortion clinics
- 4/2011 Limits abortion coverage in state-based health insurance exchanges
- 4/2010 Requires provider to offer the woman the opportunity to view her ultrasound
- 6/2009 Continues funding for alternatives to abortion services**
- 6/2011 Prohibits state from contracting with abortion providers
The following states have passed laws protecting the right to choose since the death of Dr. Tiller:
Arizona:
- 7/2009 Prohibits coercing a woman into having an abortion
- 7/2009 Establishes criteria for a judge to utilize when considering bypassing the state's parental consent for abortion law
- 5/2010 Ensures that health insurance plans cover contraception
- 3/2011 Funds substance abuse treatment for pregnant women
- 6/2009 Prohibits non-medical use of ultrasound *
- 7/2009 Sex education is required to be medically accurate and include information on contraceptives
- 5/2011 Expanded Medicaid-based family planning & contraception to include men
Kentucky:
- 3/2011 Funds substance abuse treatment for pregnant women
- 7/2009 Protects a woman's access to abortion when a medical provider refuses to perform the procedure
- 5/2011 Expanded contraception via Medicaid to be based on income
- 5/2011 Requires sex education instruction on dating violence and abusive relationships
- 6/2009 Sex education is required to be medically accurate and include information on contraceptives
- 4/2010 Prohibits non-medical use of ultrasound *
- 6/2009 Weakens abstinence requirements in sex education and codifies medically accurate requirements
- 6/2009 Requires health plans to cover HPV vaccine
- 6/2010 Expands state medical coverage (Medicaid) to cover abortion in the case of severe health impairment
- 3/2011 Requires information on dating violence and abusive relationships when sex education is provided
- 6/2009 Requires health plans that cover prescription drugs must cover contraception
- 6/2009 Requires a pharmacy to dispense valid Plan B and contraceptive prescriptions
- 2/2010 Sex education must be medically accurate
- 2/2010 Sex education must include discussion of contraception
Information provided by Guttmacher Institute, Guttmacher Institute (2009)
