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N.C. House Passes Anti-Abortion Bill Opposed by Disability Rights Organizations

Contact: Molly Rivera, [email protected] or 919-438-1109

For Immediate Release: May 6, 2021 (Updated: May 6, 2021, 8:28 p.m.)


RALEIGH — The North Carolina House today passed House Bill 453, a bill that would prevent a person from obtaining an abortion based on the presumed race of the fetus or a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

Disability Rights North Carolina, leading medical associations, and civil rights organizations are opposed to the bill.

“This bill is not about promoting equality, but about inappropriately inserting politics into personal medical decisions while making doctors a mouthpiece of the state,” said Dr. Katherine Farris, Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “No matter the decision a person may make about their pregnancy, all patients must be fully informed and supported through their decision-making process — without interference from politicians. I trust my patients to know what they need and to know what is best for their families and their futures.”

H.B. 453 would require doctors to provide a statement confirming that the patient did not tell the physician that they were seeking an abortion based on the sex, race, or diagnosis of the fetus. The doctor would be required to provide this information along with the image of the patient’s ultrasound to the Department of Health and Human Services.

“This bill is part of a national effort to drive an inflammatory and false narrative about people who obtain abortions and the doctors who provide them,” said Susanna Birdsong, North Carolina Director of Public Affairs of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “Forcing someone to carry a pregnancy to term against their will does nothing to address discrimination or improve the lives of people living with Down syndrome.”

H.B. 453 now heads to the Senate.

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