Signed by Governor Robert Bentley

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that establishes new requirements for physicians and facilities performing abortions, effective the 1st day of the 3rd month after passage.

Highlights:

• Requires a physician who performs abortions or provides abortion inducing drugs to have staff privileges at an acute care hospital in the metropolitan area where the abortion clinic or reproductive health center is located (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to remain on the premises of the abortion clinic or reproductive health center until all abortion patients have been discharged from the facility (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to provide the abortion patient with the name and telephone number of a physician who will provide care in the event of a complication (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to examine the patient to determine and document the gestational age and location of the fetus prior to providing or prescribing an abortion inducing drug (Sec. 7).

• Requires abortions to meet all standards of “office-based surgeries” including, but not limited to, the following standards (Sec. 8):
• The recommended guidelines for follow-up care;
• The requirements for a recovery area;
• The assessment for a discharge; and
• The reporting and registration requirements.

• Requires an abortion or reproductive health center to be classified as ambulatory health care occupancy and thus meet all facility standards that apply (Sec. 9). 

• Requires reproductive health centers to comply with ambulatory health care occupancies standards within 12 months of the effective date of this bill (Sec. 9).

• Requires the physician to ask any abortion patient under the age of 16 to state the name and age of the individual who is believed to be the father of the fetus (Sec. 10).

• Specifies that an abortion patient under the age of 16 can refuse to provide the father’s name and age, although the patient should be “encouraged” to provide them by the physician and the physician’s agent (Sec. 10). 

• Requires the facility to report the names of both the abortion patient and the father to local law enforcement and the Department of Human Resources, if the father is 2 or more years older than the abortion patient (Sec. 10).

• Requires the facility to report the name of any abortion patient under the age of 14 to the Department of Human Resources (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes new requirements for physicians and facilities performing abortions, effective the 1st day of the 3rd month after passage.

Highlights:

• Requires a physician who performs abortions or provides abortion inducing drugs to have staff privileges at an acute care hospital in the metropolitan area where the abortion clinic or reproductive health center is located (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to remain on the premises of the abortion clinic or reproductive health center until all abortion patients have been discharged from the facility (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to provide the abortion patient with the name and telephone number of a physician who will provide care in the event of a complication (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to examine the patient to determine and document the gestational age and location of the fetus prior to providing or prescribing an abortion inducing drug (Sec. 7).

• Requires abortions to meet all standards of “office-based surgeries” including, but not limited to, the following standards (Sec. 8):
• The recommended guidelines for follow-up care;
• The requirements for a recovery area;
• The assessment for a discharge; and
• The reporting and registration requirements.

• Requires an abortion or reproductive health center to be classified as ambulatory health care occupancy and thus meet all facility standards that apply (Sec. 9). 

• Requires reproductive health centers to comply with ambulatory health care occupancies standards within 12 months of the effective date of this bill (Sec. 9).

• Requires the physician to ask any abortion patient under the age of 16 to state the name and age of the individual who is believed to be the father of the fetus (Sec. 10).

• Specifies that an abortion patient under the age of 16 can refuse to provide the father’s name and age, although the patient should be “encouraged” to provide them by the physician and the physician’s agent (Sec. 10). 

• Requires the facility to report the names of both the abortion patient and the father to local law enforcement and the Department of Human Resources, if the father is 2 or more years older than the abortion patient (Sec. 10).

• Requires the facility to report the name of any abortion patient under the age of 14 to the Department of Human Resources (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes new requirements for physicians and facilities performing abortions.

Highlights:

• Specifies that only a physician licensed in the state of Alabama with staff privileges at an acute care hospital in the metropolitan area where the abortion clinic or reproductive health center is located may perform an abortion or provide abortion-inducing drugs (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to remain on the premises of the abortion clinic or reproductive health center until all patients have been discharged from the facility (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to provide his or her name and telephone number to the patient and to provide care in the event of a complication (Sec. 4).

• Requires the physician to examine the patient to determine and document the gestational age and location of the fetus prior to providing or prescribing an abortion-inducing drug (Sec. 7).

• Classifies abortion and reproductive health centers as ambulatory health care occupancies and office-based surgeries, and requires abortion and reproductive health centers to comply with the standards of such facilities within 12 months of the effective date of this bill (Secs. 8 & 9).

• Requires the physician to ask any abortion patient under the age of 16 to state the name and age of the likely father of the fetus (Sec. 10).

• Requires the facility to report the names of both the patient and the likely father to local law enforcement and the county Department of Human Resources if the likely father is 2 or more years older than the patient (Sec. 10).

• Requires the facility to report the name of any abortion patient 14 years of age or younger to the Department of Human Resources (Sec. 10).

• Specifies that any individual who prescribes an abortion-inducing drug who is not a physician, or a physician who does not first examine the patient, is guilty of a Class C felony (Sec. 12).

Full Bill Text