Arkansas House OKs 72-hour wait for an abortion
The Arkansas House on Tuesday voted to increase the state's abortion-waiting period from 48 hours to 72 hours.
In addition to increasing a pregnant woman's "reflection period," Senate Bill 278 by Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, would also require clinics to report abortions that result in live births and require doctors to provide pregnant women with a description of the procedure, medical risks, available medical assistance and their child-support rights, with that information being given 72 hours before performing the abortion, except in case of a medical emergency.
The legislation passed the House 75-13 with two Democrats voting for it. There was no debate.
SB278 would also mandate that patients have 24-hour access to telephone consultation with a registered nurse or doctor. The bill also requires that the facility have a written procedure for emergency transfer of a patient to an acute care facility.
Read more: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/apr/03/house-oks-72-hour-wait-for-an-abortion-/
