ENROLLED
ACT No. 483
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 578
BY REPRESENTATIVES AMEDEE AND EDMONDS
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 40:1061.11.1, relative to abortions; to provide for disclosure of medical
3 information to persons who may receive a chemically-induced abortion; and to
4 provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 40:1061.11.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 ยง1061.11.1. Chemically-induced abortion; required disclosure
8 A. When mifepristone is administered, dispensed, or otherwise provided to
9 a pregnant woman by a physician or any person acting under the physician's
10 direction, whether in a licensed outpatient abortion facility, private medical office,
11 or any other facility, then the physician or the person acting under the physician's
12 direction shall provide the disclosure statement found in Subsection B of this Section
13 to the pregnant woman. The disclosure statement may be provided by doing any of
14 the following:
15 (1) Stapling the disclosure statement to a bag, envelope, or other package
16 that contains misoprostol for the pregnant woman to self-administer at home.
17 (2) Attaching the disclosure statement to a written prescription for
18 misoprostol provided by the physician or the person acting under the physician's
19 direction.
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1 (3) Attaching the disclosure statement to the patient's discharge instructions
2 if the prescription for misoprostol is sent directly to a pharmacy.
3 B. The disclosure statement required by this Section shall contain all of the
4 following text:
5 "PLEASE READ BEFORE TAKING SECOND PILL
6 Research has indicated that the first pill provided, identified as
7 mifepristone, is not always effective in ending a pregnancy. If after taking
8 the first pill you regret your decision, please consult a physician or healthcare
9 provider immediately to determine if there are options available to assist you
10 in continuing your pregnancy."
11 C.(1) Nothing in this Section shall be construed as creating or recognizing
12 a right to abortion.
13 (2) Nothing in this Section shall be construed as requiring the disclosure
14 statement to be provided to a woman facing a spontaneous miscarriage as defined in
15 R.S. 40:1061.9(1)(b).
16 (3) Nothing in this Section shall be construed as requiring a pharmacy or any
17 entity other than the facility where the abortion is administered to provide the
18 disclosure statement.
19 D. As used in this Section, the following terms have the meanings ascribed
20 to them:
21 (1) "Abortion pill" means the use of mifepristone or misoprostol to induce
22 a chemical abortion.
23 (2) "Mifepristone" means a synthetic steroid that inhibits the action of
24 progesterone, given orally in early pregnancy to induce a chemical abortion.
25 Mifepristone is the first drug used in a two-drug process to induce a chemical
26 abortion.
27 (3) "Misoprostol" means a synthetic prostaglandin E
1 analogue that is used
28 to induce a chemical abortion. Misoprostol is the second drug used in a two-drug
29 process to induce a chemical abortion.
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1 Section 2. Any provision of this Act held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms,
2 or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be construed so as to give it the maximum
3 effect permitted by law, unless such holding is one of utter invalidity or unenforceability,
4 in which event such provision shall be deemed severable in accordance with R.S. 24:175,
5 and shall not affect the remainder hereof or the application of such provision to other persons
6 not similarly situated or to other dissimilar circumstances.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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