Crosswhite Hader Bill to Penalize Trafficking of Abortion-Inducing Drugs Moves to Senate
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont, on Tuesday passed legislation in the House that would outlaw the trafficking of chemical abortion pills. House Bill 1168 would create a felony trafficking offense for anyone who knows or has reason to know that another person intends to use an abortion-inducing drug and knowingly delivers such a drug to that person or who possesses the drug with intent to deliver it. "Women considering an abortion are already in a vulnerable state," Crosswhite Hader said. "They don't need someone willing to skirt the law or to try to profit from such vulnerability and provide them with an abortion-inducing drug that could create great harm to them physically and mentally." Crosswhite Hader said the legislation only addresses those who intend to distribute these drugs to others, not those who are accessing these drugs for themselves. Anyone convicted of trafficking or attempting to traffic abortion-inducing drugs could face a fine of up to $100,000, up to 10 years in prison, or both. This is the same as current law for those performing an illegal abortion. This act does not apply to a pharmacist or a manufacturer or distributor acting lawfully in the usual course of their business or profession. Nothing in this act may be construed to prohibit preventive contraceptives used in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Crosswhite Hader said her goal is to protect women's health. She said there are numerous reports of women being given these drugs by non-medical professionals who do not understand what the medications can do to a woman if administered incorrectly. The drugs are often taken in isolation. This leaves the woman to go through cramping and bleeding and the shedding of her pregnancy with no medical expert on hand to help her through not only the physical pain and after-effects of the drugs, but also the mental anguish that can result from seeing her pre-term pregnancy in a non-viable state. "I'm concerned that a woman given these drugs to take in isolation could die by herself, and they could keep her from being able to carry to term a pregnancy at a later date should that be desired," she said. Even more alarming, she said, are reports that only the second drug in a two-drug sequence are being given in some instances. The first drug is intended to stop the growth of the pregnancy. The second is to evacuate. To give the second drug without the first presents a greater danger to the woman, she said. Just like legislators enacted punishments for adults who give alcohol to minors, penalties are attached in this act to hopefully give people who would distribute these drugs pause, she said. HB1168 now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant.