S.F. No. 281 Summary

• Authorizes licensed and registered health care providers to furnish patients with medically accurate, evidence-based information and health care services based on their reasonable professional judgment without state or local legal restrictions.

• Defines "medically accurate" as information verified by peer-reviewed medical research and recognized as sound by leading health care organizations including the American Medical Association, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, federal agencies like the CDC and FDA, and national scientific advisory groups.

• Requires health care providers who determine that following a state or local law violates these provisions to document their medical reasoning in writing and include the documentation in the patient's health record.

• Repeals Minnesota Statutes sections 145.4241 through 145.4249, which contained informed consent requirements for abortion procedures, including requirements for 24-hour waiting periods, provision of specific printed materials, and disclosure of risks.

• Takes effect July 1, 2017.