Healthcare (Women's Health)

This bill requires health care providers to inform patients before and after administering medication for a chemical abortion that it may be possible to reverse the procedure if the patient changes their mind before taking the second medication. The law mandates that providers give patients printed instructions and direct them to a state health department website and hotline with information about abortion pill reversal services. Providers who fail to provide this notice could face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per day, while patients, biological fathers, and grandparents may file civil lawsuits for damages if the notice requirement is not met. The bill also directs the state health department to create a website with resources and contact information for providers who offer reversal services.

HB 370, the Ohio Prenatal Equal Protection Act, would ban abortion in Ohio by defining "person" to include preborn children from conception, making abortion a criminal offense under homicide laws. It directly affects pregnant people seeking abortions, healthcare providers offering abortion services, and individuals who may pressure someone to terminate a pregnancy. Key provisions require that abortion-related acts be treated as homicide or assault under existing laws, with exceptions only for life-saving procedures on the pregnant person (when reasonable steps to save the fetus are taken) or spontaneous miscarriages. The bill repeals current legal provisions that permit abortion or "prenatal homicide" and mandates due process protections for those subject to the law.

SB 309 requires Ohio healthcare providers prescribing abortion-inducing drugs (like mifepristone) to provide written information about potential complications and a specific liability statement to patients before the prescription. Patients must then sign a written certification confirming they received this information, which providers must retain in medical records for at least seven years. If providers fail to follow these steps, they may face civil lawsuits from patients, fathers, or family members, with statutory damages set at three times the drug cost. The bill directly affects abortion providers and patients in Ohio, mandating new disclosure practices and increasing provider liability for noncompliance.

To amend sections 2305.11 and 2307.46 and to enact section 2317.58 of the Revised Code to enact the Share the Health and Empower With Informed Notices (SHE WINS) Act regarding abortion informed consent.

HB 410 prohibits Medicaid from paying for abortion services provided by specific abortion clinics or providers. This bill directly affects low-income Medicaid recipients who seek abortions at those designated facilities and the providers who would lose Medicaid reimbursement for such services. The key provision, added as section 5162.09 of the Revised Code, bans Medicaid funds from being paid to providers meeting certain criteria. As a result, abortions performed at these providers would no longer be covered by Medicaid, requiring patients to pay the full cost out-of-pocket or seek care elsewhere.