Legislation: Ohio House Bill 255 – Abortion-Inducing Drugs
Bill: House Bill 255 (full text)Title: Regulation of Abortion-Inducing Drugs
Sponsors: Representatives Brinkman and Hagan
Co-sponsors: Representatives Hood, Vitale, Zeltwanger, Becker, McColley, Blessing, Romanchuk, Kraus, Koehler, Hill, Antani, Roegner, Ruhl, Retherford, Pelanda, LaTourette
Bill Analysis: The bill restricts the use of abortion-inducing drugs to those expressly labeled for the purpose of inducing abortion by the FDA, which is currently limited to a single medication.
It would prevent physicians from providing other drugs or combinations of drugs that could otherwise be used for safe medication abortions. The legislation preserves Ohio’s status as the only state with a legal requirement that doctors must follow a previously-issued protocol from the FDA, rather than common, evidence-based off-label uses. Because of the way Ohio has regulated the drug, women in Ohio take higher doses, experience more side effects, make an additional visit to their physician, and have two fewer weeks in which to seek the procedure.
The bill also requires a physician providing medication abortions to have admitting, gynecological and surgical privileges at a local, non-public hospital or have a signed agreement with such a provider who agrees to provide emergency care.
Status: Introduced in the House June 10, 2015. Referred to the House Community and Family Advancement Committee on June 16, 2015. Hearing held June 23, 2015.
