HB0070 • 2021

Abortion-informed consent.

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; requiring physicians to provide patients with specified information before nonemergency abortion procedures; amending disciplinary grounds; and providing for an effective date.

Abortion Children Healthcare

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor: Representative Rodriguez-Williams
Last action: 2021-03-22
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2021

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's official status indicates that it did not pass.

Abortion-informed Consent Law

The bill requires doctors to provide patients with specific information before nonemergency abortions and adds new grounds for disciplinary action against doctors who violate these requirements.

What This Bill Does

Requires doctors to inform patients about the nature of the proposed abortion procedure in writing.
Informs patients verbally or in writing about the development of the unborn child at the time of the abortion.
Gives patients the opportunity to view an active ultrasound and hear the heartbeat of the unborn child if it is audible, with written confirmation of this option.
Provides information on potential mental health impacts of abortion in writing.
Informs patients verbally or in writing about government services for pregnant women.
Discusses risks and alternatives to abortion procedures, including medication-induced abortions, verbally.
Requires doctors to obtain voluntary and informed written consent from patients confirming they received all required information.

Who It Names or Affects

Doctors who perform nonemergency abortions
Patients seeking nonemergency abortions

Terms To Know

Unprofessional or dishonorable conduct: Behavior by a doctor that is not ethical or does not meet professional standards.
Disciplinary action: Actions taken against doctors who violate medical rules, such as suspending their license to practice medicine.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill did not pass and was not considered by the Committee of the Whole.
It is unclear how many patients will choose to view an ultrasound or hear a heartbeat during consultations.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0070HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Wilson

Filed

Plain English: The amendment changes the wording in a bill to require doctors to give specific information to patients before nonemergency abortions, by changing 'patients extquotesingle' to 'patient extquotesingle s'.

Changes the word 'patients extquotesingle' to 'patient extquotesingle s' in the bill text.

The amendment only specifies a minor wording change and does not provide enough context about what specific information doctors must give to patients, or how this affects public health and safety rules.

HB0070HS001

Standing Committee • House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee

Filed

Plain English: The amendment changes the way certain information must be provided to patients before nonemergency abortion procedures by requiring it in writing instead of verbally.

Removes the requirement for physicians to provide specified information verbally and replaces it with a requirement to do so in writing.
Adds 'or non-profit' after 'governmental' where applicable.

The amendment text does not specify all details about what specific information must be provided, leaving some aspects unclear.

Bill History

2021-03-22 House
H COW:H Did not consider for COW
2021-03-19 House
H Placed on General File
2021-03-19 House
H10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 7-2-0-0-0
2021-03-04 House
H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor
2021-01-21 House
H Received for Introduction
2021-01-15 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

21LSO-0327
2021
STATE OF WYOMING
21LSO-0327
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0070

Abortion-informed consent.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Rodriguez-Williams, Bear, Gray, Haroldson, Neiman and Ottman and Senator(s) Biteman, French and James

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to public health and safety; requiring physicians to provide patients with specified information before nonemergency abortion procedures; amending disciplinary grounds; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 33
‑
26
‑
402(a)(xxvii) by creating a new subparagraph (U) and 35
‑
6
‑
119(a) and by creating a new subsection (c) are amended to read:

33
‑
26
‑
402.

Grounds for suspension; revocation; restriction; imposition of conditions; refusal to renew or other disciplinary action.

(a)

The board may refuse to renew, and may revoke, suspend or restrict a license or take other disciplinary action, including the imposition of conditions or restrictions upon a license on one (1) or more of the following grounds:

(xxvii)

Unprofessional or dishonorable conduct not otherwise specified in this subsection, including but not limited to:

(U)

Performing an abortion in violation of W.S. 35
‑
6
‑
119.

35
‑
6
‑
119.

Information provided to patient; exceptions.

(a)

Except in the case of a medical emergency, the physician performing the abortion on the patient, the
referring physician or a person designated by either physician shall
, before performing an abortion,
inform the patient of
:

(i)

The nature of the proposed abortion procedure, to be provided in writing;

(ii)

The probable gestational age and a description of the development of the unborn child at the time the abortion would be performed, to be provided verbally;

(iii)

T
he opportunity to view an active ultrasound of the unborn child and hear the heartbeat of the unborn child if the heartbeat is audible.

The active ultrasound image and auscultation of fetal heart tone shall be of a quality consistent with standard medical practice in the community.
The patient shall be informed in writing of the opportunity to view an active ultrasound and hear the heartbeat;

(iv)

The potential impacts of the abortion on the patients' mental health, to be provided in writing;

(v)

Information on governmental services for pregnant women, to be provided verbally or in writing;

(vi)

Risks and alternatives to abortion procedures including risks of a medication
‑
induced abortion if the proposed procedure is a medication
‑
induced abortion, to be provided verbally.

(c)

The physician performing the abortion on the patient, or the physician's agent, shall obtain from the patient a voluntary and informed written consent that shall confirm the patient received the information required by subsection (a) of this section, unless the procedure performed is exempted provided pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2021
.

(END)

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HB0070