During the 2016 state legislative session, which began on March 14 and concluded on June 6, Louisiana Right to Life actively pushed legislation forward to protect both women and their unborn babies.
This session was a HUGE success, and we are very thankful to all of those who assisted our efforts- Governor Edwards, our bill authors, all the Representatives and Senators who expressed their support, and especially to all those citizens who took their time to call, email, write, and lobby their legislators in favor of our legislation! We couldn’t have done this without YOU!
Questions about legislation on this page? Contact our Legislative Director Deanna Wallace: deanna@prolifegala-com.prolifelouisiana.org
Louisiana Unborn Child Protection From Dismemberment Act
- HB 1081 by Rep. Mike Johnson
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- This bill would protect unborn babies by ending the brutal practice of dismemberment abortion in Louisiana. A dismemberment abortion, a subset of D&E abortions, is a second trimester abortion method where the abortionist uses large forceps to seize and tear body parts from a live, unborn child.
- To learn more about dismemberment abortion, click here.
- Progress:
- Passed House Health and Welfare Committee 13-0.
- Passed the House 83-0 on April 28 (Read Press Release)
- Passed Senate Health amd Welfare Committee with no opposition on May 11.
- Passed the Senate 36-2 on May 17.
- Signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 26 as Act 264.
Women’s Enhanced Reflection Act
- HB 386 by Rep. Frank Hoffmann
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- This bill would increase the current time for reflection between a pre-abortion counseling and the actual abortion procedure from 24 hours to 72 hours. This will allow women a chance for further reflection of all her options, by relieving some of the immediacy of the crisis.
- Progress:
- Passed by House Health and Welfare Committee 14-0 on March 30.
- Passed the House 89-5 on April 6.
- Approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee by a 5-3 on April 27.
- Approved by Senate 34-4 on May 3.
- House approved Concurrence
- Signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 19 as Act No. 97.
Board Certification Requirement for Abortion Providers
- HB 488 by Rep. Katrina Jackson
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- This bill would require that abortion providers be Board-Certified or under the direct supervision of a provider who is Board-Certified in order to perform the invasive surgical procedure of abortion. This is a common sense regulation- women deserve providers who can meet the universal requirements for Board Certification.
- Progress:
- Passed House Health and Welfare Committee 13-0 on March 30.
- Passed the House floor 87-0 on April 6.
- Passed Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 4.
- Approved by full Senate 35-0 on May 10.
- Signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 19 as Act No. 98.
Compassionate Burial Options
- HB 618 by Rep. Tom Willmott
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- This bill would require hospitals to inform parents who suffer the tragedy of miscarriage, that they have a right to bury or cremate their child. This allows them to properly grieve the loss and can facilitate the healing process for the family.
- Progress:
- Approved by the House Health and Welfare Committee 14-0 on March 16 .
- Passed the House floor unanimously (98-0) on March 21.
- Passed unanimously out of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on April 27
- Passed unanimously in the Senate on May 3.
- Signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 11 as Act No. 84.
Unborn Child Dignity Act
- HB 815 by Rep. Julie Stokes
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- This bill would require that abortion providers treat the remains of unborn children with the respect and dignity they deserve, by requiring that the remains be buried or cremated just like any other human being who passes away in our state. It also prohibits the sale or donation of human body parts that are harvested as a result of an elective abortion, and provides criminal penalties. The premise of this bill, is that the practice violates the “dead donor rule” which states that organ donors must be dead before procurement of organs begins, and that organ procurement itself must not cause the death of the donor.
- Progress:
- Passed House Health and Welfare Committee 9-0.
- Passed the House 87-0 on April 27 (Read Press Release)
- Passed unanimously out of Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 24.
- Unanimously passed the Senate with amendments on May 30.
- Amended bill scheduled for floor debate in House on June 3.
- Conference Committee Report adopted in House & Senate on June 6th.
- Signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 17 as Act 593.
Baby Body Parts Profit Ban
- SB 33 by Sen. Ryan Gatti
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- This bill prohibits the sale or donation of human body parts that are harvested as a result of an elective abortion, and provides for criminal penalties.
- Progress:
- Passed unanimously in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee on April 6.
- Passed the Senate unanimously on April 7.
- Passed unanimously out of House Health and Welfare Committee on May 3
- Unanimously passed the House May 12.
- Signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 26 as Act No. 196.
Defunding Abortion Businesses Act
- HB 606 by Rep. Frank Hoffman
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- This bill follows Governor Kasich’s approach to defunding abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood in Ohio, by prohibiting entities that perform abortions, or contract with those who perform abortions, from receiving public funding for any purpose.
- Progress on :
- Passed House Health and Welfare 11-0.
- Passed the House 85-7 on April 27 (Read Press Release)
- Approved by Senate Health and Welfare Committee, with no opposition, on May 11.
- Passed the Senate 33-2 on May 23.
- Signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 2 as Act 304.
The Unborn Child Protection from Disability Discrimination Act (Jacob’s Law)
- HB 1019 by Rep. Rick Edmunds (R- Baton Rouge)
- Visit the bill’s legislative information website.
- HB 1019 by Representative Rick Edmonds (R – Baton Rouge) protects unborn children that have been diagnosed with a disability in the womb from being singled out for abortion simply based on their status as disabled or potentially disabled. This would protect and unborn child, for example, with a diagnosis of Down syndrome.
- Passed House Health and Welfare 11-0.
- Passed the House 75-1 on April 28 (Read Press Release)
- Passed out of Senate Health and Welfare Committee on May 24.
- Passed the Senate 29-6 on June 2 with amendments; returned to the House for floor debate on June 3.
- Final Passage in House on June 3, 91-3 to accept Senate Amendments.
- Signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 17 as Act 563.
Other Life Affirming Legislation Passed this Session:
- SB 353 by Sen. Wesley Bishop
“Louisiana Expectant and Parenting Students Act”
- HCR 87 by Rep. Frank Hoffmann
Asks the Louisiana Department of Health to study the effectiveness and safety of Abortion Pill Reversal.
- HB 107 & 237 by Rep. Tom Willmott
Strengthens Louisiana’s Safe Haven Law
- HB 482 by Rep. Patrick Jefferson
Creates a Foster Care Permanence Task Force
- HCR 94 by Rep. Robert Billiot
Extends the Youth Aging out of Foster Care Task Force
- HB 906 by Rep. James Armes
Makes provisions for financial aid and housing for homeless and foster youth.
