DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 357 Original 2021 Regular Session Crews
Abstract: Requires that certain information relative to minors who undergo abortion be included
in individual abortion reports by physicians and in annual statistical reports of
abortion-related data issued by the La. Department of Health.
Present law requires that an individual abortion report for each abortion performed or induced be
completed by the attending physician. Stipulates that the report shall be confidential and not contain
the name or address of the woman and provides for the required content of the report.
Proposed law retains present law and adds the following requirements for the content of individual
abortion reports:
(1)If the abortion was performed on a minor, the report shall include a notation indicating
whether or not the physician or any other staff member of the abortion facility suspected that
the minor was the victim of any form of child abuse or neglect and filed a report of such
abuse or neglect in accordance with present law.
(2)If the abortion was performed on a minor pursuant to a "judicial bypass order" (court order)
in lieu of parental consent as allowed in present law, the report shall include all of the
following:
(a)The judicial district of the court that issued the order.
(b)An indication of whether or not the minor was required to participate in an evaluation
and counseling session with a mental health professional from the La. Department
of Health (LDH) or a staff member from the Department of Children and Family
Services (DCFS) as allowed in present law.
(c)An indication of whether or not the court issued a protective order for the minor,
afforded her the continued services of a court-appointed special advocate, or did
both, as allowed in present law.
(d)An indication of whether or not the physician or any other staff member of the
abortion facility referred the woman to any licensed professional for post-abortion
counseling.
(e)An indication of whether or not the physician or any other staff member of the abortion facility referred the woman to LDH or DCFS for any health services or other
human services.
Present law requires that individual abortion reports include the parish and municipality, if any, in
which the pregnant woman resides. Proposed law revises present law to require that such reports
include the parish and zip code, if any, in which the pregnant woman resides.
Present law requires LDH to collect all individual abortion reports prepared as required by present
law and to collate and evaluate all data gathered from the reports. Requires LDH to publish a
statistical report annually based on such data from abortions performed in the previous calendar year.
Proposed law retains present law and requires that the annual statistical reports on abortions
published by LDH include a special section addressing abortions performed on minors. Requires
that this section of the report feature, at minimum, a compilation of the information required by
proposed law to be included in individual abortion reports.
(Amends R.S. 40:1061.21(A)(intro. para.), (4), (5)(b), and (D); Adds R.S. 40:1061.21(A)(5)(c))