Louisiana Adoption Option Act (HB 449)

This law was last updated on Aug 2, 2018

State

Louisiana

Number

HB 449

Status

Current

Proposed

Mar 1, 2018

Topics

Informed Consent

Full Bill Text

www.legis.la.gov

HB 449 provides for information on adoption to be conveyed pursuant to laws relative to informed consent to an abortion.

The bill amends the “Woman’s Right to Know Law”, which provides informed consent requirements, including the requirement that the department of health must publish an abortion alternatives and informed consent website.

HB 449 requires that the adoption-related information on the abortion alternatives and informed consent website be accessible by redirecting from the domain name “AdoptionOption.La.Gov”.

The law requires the website to feature information on adoption agencies that are not affiliated with an abortion provider, along with easily comprehensible first steps to aid individuals seeking adoption options, and indicating whether the adoption agency allows the pregnant person to choose the adoptive parents.

The law requires the department to publish printed materials with the following additional information:

A list arranged geographically of Louisiana-based public or private nonprofit agencies, including the name, physical address, website address if available, and telephone number of each of the following:
- Entities which offer obstetric ultrasounds free of charge.
- Entities which offer free and confidential counseling to a pregnant person considering placing their child for adoption.

The list may not include any facility that counsels, refers, performs, induces, prescribes, or provides any means for abortion.

The law requires the governor to convene a task force to assist the health department in the preparation of the printed and Internet materials, and to develop public education initiatives to publicize such information on abortion alternatives.

The task force must be composed of the following members:

Up to two licensed clinical social workers licensed by the La. State Board of Social Work Examiners;
Up to two Louisiana residents who provide pre-abortion or post-abortion counseling in association with a nonprofit organization that does not counsel for or provide abortion;
Up to two attorneys licensed in the state and employed by nonprofit organizations who specialize in advocacy for women at risk of being coerced into abortion, or who specialize in navigating the adoption process;
Up to two La. residents who are employed by public or private nonprofit adoption agencies;
Up to two executive directors of nonprofit organizations that promote adoption as an alternative to abortion, or their designees;
Two members of the senate appointed by the president;
Two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker; and
The secretary of the department of health or his designee, who would serve as the chairperson of the task force.