Indiana Bill Amending Informed Consent Requirements (SB 489)

SB 489 would have amended existing law regarding informed consent requirements (Indiana Code § 16-34-2-1.1).

Forced Ultrasound

The bill would have required an abortion provider to provide a patient seeking an abortion an opportunity to view the fetal ultrasound imaging and to listen to the fetal heartbeat before the abortion is performed. The bill specifies that if the patient does not want to listen to the sound of the fetal heartbeat or view the ultrasound imaging, the patient must certify her refusal in writing and on a form developed by the state department.

Informed Consent

The bill would have required a physician or medical professional performing an abortion to provide the patient with a color copy of an informed consent brochure at least 18 hours prior to the procedure that included the following information:

1. The name and contact information for the physician;
2. Objective scientific information of the risks of and alternatives to the procedure or the use of an abortion inducing drug;
3. Information about the procedure or abortion inducing drug, including the potential risks; and
4. The probable gestational age of the fetus.

STATUS

The provisions of this bill are contained in SB 371 which Gov. Pence signed into law in May 2013.

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