BATON ROUGE — A bill recently passed in the legislature would cause all abortion clinics south of Shreveport-Bossier to close.
Rep. Katrina Jackson’s bill would require doctors who perform abortions in Louisiana to have the ability to admit patients to a nearby hospital. That resolution would mean the closure of three of the state’s five clinics, all of which are south of Shreveport-Bossier City.
Proponents say the measure will ensure women have access to proper care in case of a complications from an abortion. Opponents say the restrictions are medically unnecessary and designed to limit abortion access.
Beginning Sept. 1, doctors who perform abortions will need admitting privileges at a hospital that provides obstetrical or gynecological health care services within 30 miles of where the procedure is performed.
The bill also will force women who take the abortion pill to meet the same 24-hour waiting period and ultrasound requirements as those who have surgical abortions.
Lastly, the measure will require a doctor who performs more than five abortions a year to meet the health and safety inspections required of abortion clinics.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
