Legislation.
Keep up to date on the latest reproductive health care issues in Ohio, and find out how you can fight back.
What we're fighting for:
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio is a leading force in the fight to defend reproductive rights for all. Every single day, we work with our legislative allies, partner groups, and community members to make sure that abortion remains a safe, legal, and accessible service. We will continue to fight for that - no matter what.
Current Legislation.
Read below for the latest information on legislation in the 133rd Ohio General Assembly, which stared January 2019 and will end in December 2020.
Gray background designates a bill PPAO opposes.
Pink background designates a bill PPAO supports.
Follow the provided links for more information on each of these bills, and find out how you can fight back by submitting testimony. Join our email list to receive weekly updates on reproductive rights in Ohio.
Senate Bill 23: Near-Total Abortion Ban
Prohibits abortion at around six weeks, before most people know that they are pregnant.
Status: We are currently awaiting trial on this law in federal court. This law did not go into effect due to a temporary restraining order granted by a federal judge on July 3, 2019. The ACLU of Ohio has vowed to challenge the law in court with Preterm-Cleveland, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region, and the Women’s Med Center of Dayton named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Senate Bill 27: Medical Tissue Disposal Bill
This bill would force patients who choose abortion to select either cremation or burial after their abortion procedure. This bill is medically unnecessary and ignores the fact that patients already have this option, if they choose it. The reality is this bill adds another barrier to accessing abortion, shames people who have already made the decision to have an abortion, and targets abortion providers.
Status: After passing in the Senate, on April 2, 2019 the bill was referred to the House Civil Justice Committee.
Senate Bill 155: Medical Misinformation Bill
This bill supports the medically-inaccurate and unproven concept of "abortion pill reversal." This bill would force health care providers to lie to their patients about the possibility of reversing a medication abortion.
Status: After passing in the Senate, this bill was introduced in the House on November 2019. It was assigned to the House Health committee on May 5, 2020.
Senate Bill 208
The intent of this bill is to create another opportunity to push a false and inflammatory narrative around reproductive health care in Ohio. This bill adds civil penalties to a law that already applies criminal penalties to doctors. The existing law, as well as this, are unnecessary. These additional provisions are designed to further harass doctors who provide abortions by increasing unnecessary reporting requirements and allowing more civil lawsuits.
Status: This bill was originally introduced in the Senate on May 28, 2019. After being passed in the Senate in November of 2019, it was assigned to the House Criminal Justice committee on May 5, 2020.
Senate Bill 260: Telemedicine Medication Abortion Ban
This bill would ban abortions performed with the use of telemedicine, cutting off access to safe, legal abortion for patients who already have a difficulty accessing a provider. This bill is medically unnecessary as it does nothing to protect and health of patients and instead favors an ideologically-driven agenda over the well-being of Ohioans.
Status: It passed out of the Ohio Senate (21-9) and was assigned to the House Health committee on May 12, 2020.
House Bill 68: Six Week Abortion Ban
This bill would "prohibit an abortion if there was a detectable heartbeat." The biased language in this bill has no basis in medicine or reality. It is written to divert attention away from the fact that it bans abortion and hurt patients.
Status: First hearing in Ohio Health Committee held on February 26, 2019.
House Bill 90: Miseducation and Misinformation Bill
The bill would require the Ohio Department of Health and Board of Education to implement a costly, abstinence-only instructional program in schools and health care facilities that would include public posting of misleading anti-abortion propaganda.
Status: On June 4, 2019 the bill received a sixth hearing in the Ohio House Health Committee.
House Bill 182: Insurance Abortion Ban
The bill seeks to ban insurance companies, including employee benefit plans in the state from offering coverage of abortion care.
Status: After being introduced on April 3, 3019 by State Representative John Becker (R-Clermont County), the bill was referred to the Ohio House Insurance Committee. The second committee hearing was heard on May 7, 2019.
House Bill 297: Tax Credit for Crisis Pregnancy Centers (Fake Clinics)
The bill incentivizes and rewards individuals who contribute to fake clinics by creating a major tax loop hole for donors to crisis pregnancy centers. In Ohio, there are no tax credits, refundable or nonrefundable, or tax deductions for contributions to an organization, whether charitable or not charitable.
Status: After being introduced on June 25, 2019 by State Representatives Timothy Ginther and Jena Powell, it passed out of the House Ways & Means committee on December 10, 2019 with a 12-7 vote. It now awaits a House floor vote.
House Bill 413: Criminalizes Abortion in Ohio
Ohio legislators introduced House Bill 413, as another bill intended to further regulate individuals options to control and manage their own bodies as well as penalize physicians for thoughtfully caring for their patients without fear of political interference.
Status: After being introduced on November 14, 2019 by State Representatives Candice Keller and Ron Hood, the bill was referred to the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee on November 18, 2019. It has not received any hearings.
House Bill 538: Trigger Ban
This bill would instantly block abortion access if the U.S. Supreme Court rules to overturn Roe vs. Wade. This ban makes it a felony for doctors to administer abortion drugs and to perform surgical abortions.
Status: It was introduced on March 3, and was referred to the House Health Committee on March 10, 2020. It has not received any hearings.
