HB 1847 -- Informed Consent for Abortion

Co-Sponsors:  Phillips, Luetkenhaus, Kelly (36), Holt, Dolan,
Reid, Portwood, Bartle

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 October 11, 2002 at 9:02 am