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PA HB26
Bill
Status
1/8/2025
Primary Sponsor
Kristine Howard
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AI Summary
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Repeals Pennsylvania's existing Abortion Control Act (18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 32) and replaces it with a new "Reproductive Freedom Act" (35 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91) that establishes abortion as a protected right up to 24 weeks of pregnancy without state interference
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Eliminates existing requirements including mandatory 24-hour waiting periods, informed consent provisions with state-mandated materials, parental consent for minors, spousal notification, and specific facility regulations for abortion providers
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Expands who can perform abortions from only physicians to "qualified clinicians" including certified registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse-midwives; permits telemedicine consultations for medication abortions
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Creates civil cause of action for "reproductive coercion" allowing victims to sue for compensatory damages, punitive damages, and injunctive relief when someone uses force, threats, or coercive control to influence reproductive decisions
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Repeals the prohibition on abortion coverage in health insurance exchange plans and removes restrictions on use of public funds and publicly-owned facilities for abortion services, while maintaining conscience protections for individual medical personnel
Legislative Description
In provisions relating to abortion, repealing provisions relating to short title of chapter and to legislative intent, further providing for definitions, repealing provisions relating to medical consultation and judgment, to informed consent, to parental consent, to abortion facilities, to printed information, to Commonwealth interference prohibited, to spousal notice, to determination of gestational age, to abortion on unborn child of 24 or more weeks gestational age, to infanticide, to prohibited acts and to reporting, further providing for publicly owned facilities, public officials and public funds and for fetal experimentation and repealing provisions relating to civil penalties, to criminal penalties, to State Board of Medicine and State Board of Osteopathic Medicine and to construction; providing for reproductive rights; repealing provisions relating to compliance with Federal health care legislation as to regulation of insurers and related persons generally; and imposing penalties.
Last Action
Referred to Health
1/8/2025