HB 913 -- Informed Consent for Abortion

Co-Sponsors:  Barry, Luetkenhaus, Holt, Gratz, Reid, Phillips,
Marble

This bill revises the provision pertaining to informed consent
for an abortion.

Except in the case of a medical emergency, the bill prohibits a
person from performing or inducing an abortion unless the
treating physician has conferred with the patient and discussed
the indicators and contra-indicators of the proposed abortion or

drug or drugs used for the abortion, considering a woman's
medical history and medical condition.  The conference between
the treating physician and the patient must occur at least 24
hours before performing or inducing an abortion.

For an abortion induced by drug or drugs, one conference between
the treating physician and the patient must occur 24 hours prior
to the writing or communication of the first prescription for a
drug or drugs which are used to induce an abortion.

Prior to or during the conference, the patient is required to be
screened for risk factors, which include any physical,
psychological, or situational factors which would predispose the
patient to, or increase the risk of, experiencing one or more
adverse physical, emotional, or other health reactions to an
abortion or drug or drugs used.

The bill requires that at the end of the conference, the
treating physician and the patient are required to sign a
written statement certifying that the screening and discussion
have occurred and that the woman gave her informed consent
freely and without coercion.  All executed statements will be
maintained in the patient's medical file which are subject to
the confidentiality laws of Missouri.

The Department of Health is required to develop a model form
that will be used by treating physicians.  In the absence of the
model form, treating physicians are not exempt from the
requirements of the bill.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated September 13, 2001 at 2:04 pm