Oklahoma Humanity of the Unborn Child Act (HB 2797)

HB 2797 would require the Department of Health to develop informational material “for the purpose of achieving an abortion-free society.”

The bill would require the State Department of Health to develop and maintain an electronic form containing information concerning public and private agencies and services available to assist a woman through pregnancy, upon childbirth and while the child is dependent, which shall include a comprehensive list of the agencies available, including adoption agencies, a description of the services they offer and a description of the manner, including telephone numbers and email addresses, by which they might be contacted.

The Department’s website would be required to include the following statement:

“There are many public and private agencies willing and able to help you carry your child to term and assist you and your child after your child is born, whether you choose to keep your child or to place him or her for adoption. The State of Oklahoma strongly urges you to contact them if you are pregnant.”

Public facilities containing restrooms and licensed by the State Department of Health would also be required to post signage in their restrooms with the above mentioned statement.

HB 2797 would require the State Department of Health to develop and make available materials designed to provide accurate, scientifically verifiable information concerning the probable anatomical and physiological characteristics of the unborn child at two-week gestational intervals. The bill encourages the Department to use information from http://www.awomansright.org.

The Department would be required to develop and distribute educational and informational materials to provide public information through public service announcements, media and otherwise for the purpose of achieving an abortion-free society. The materials must “clearly and consistently teach that abortion kills a living human being.”

In addition, the Department would be required to:

• Provide technical assistance to help community-based organizations in the planning and implementation of abortion prevention, alternatives to abortion referral and education programs regarding the “humanity of the unborn child”;
• Provide outreach, consultation, training and alternatives to abortion referral services to schools, organizations and members of the community;
• Distribute educational and informational material concerning maternal behavior during pregnancy (avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, etc.); and
• Recommend to the State Department of Education scientifically verifiable information concerning the “unborn child” in the educational standards of science, family and consumer sciences and health classes.

The State Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Health, would be required to establish an instructional program for students consistent with the provisions of this legislation. Local school boards would be able to choose if they wanted to implement the program in their districts.

Finally, the bill would establish a revolving fund for the State Board of Education to be designated as the “Public Education on the Humanity of the Unborn Child Fund”.

STATUS

Passed. Approved by Gov. Fallin (R) on June 6, 2016. The law went into effect on November 1, 2016.

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