HB57 Summary

• Only physicians may perform abortions; physicians must remain on premises until all patients are discharged and sign discharge orders, and must provide patients with physician contact information and medication names.

• Physicians performing abortions must have staff privileges at an acute care hospital in the same metropolitan area to perform dilation and curettage, laparotomy, hysterectomy, and other abortion-related complication procedures.

• Registered professional nurses must supervise all nursing care during abortion procedures, preparation, recovery, and initial discharge; all patient care must comply with federal, state, and local laws and current standards of care.

• Only physicians may prescribe abortion-inducing drugs; physicians must first examine the patient in person and document gestational age and intrauterine location before dispensing such drugs.

• Facilities must meet NFPA 101 Life Safety Code standards as ambulatory health care occupancy; violations result in Class C felonies for non-physicians performing abortions or facility administrators knowingly permitting violations, and Class A misdemeanor for failure to report certain cases involving minor patients to law enforcement and human resources.