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Gov. Edwards Signs HB 578, Offering Hope to Women Who Regret Their Chemical Abortion

BATON ROUGE – Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that he has signed HB 578, the Abortion Pill Reversal Disclosure Act, giving every woman the right to change her mind after her chemical abortion and possibly save her baby.

The bill was authored by Rep. Beryl Amedee (R-Houma) and carried in the Senate by Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton). The bill easily passed both chambers before going to the governor’s desk.

The bill requires that when a physician or agent thereof administers mifepristone (the first abortion pill in the chemical/medical abortion process) to a pregnant woman, he must provide a disclosure statement letting her know that if, after taking the first pill she regrets the abortion, she should consult a physician or healthcare provider immediately to determine if there are options available to help sustain her pregnancy. The statement can be stapled to the bag, envelope, or other package that contains misoprostol (the second abortion pill) for the pregnant woman to take at home or attached to the patient’s discharge instructions if the prescription for misoprostol is sent directly to a pharmacy.

Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life, said: “We are excited that the Abortion Pill Reversal Disclosure Act is now law. Every woman receiving a chemical abortion will now know that she can talk to a doctor if she regrets her abortion to see if options are available to help her continue the pregnancy and save her baby. More than 2,000 babies have been saved across America thanks to the Abortion Pill Reversal protocol, and we expect even more babies to be born thanks to this legislation.”