April 16, 2018

Ducey Signs Bill Requiring Abortion Questions, Reporting

Providers obligated to ask why a woman is having an abortion; the patient is not required to answer.

Ducey at the desk Gov. Doug Ducey at his desk in Phoenix, December 2017.
AZPM Staff

Abortion providers would be required to ask a woman why she is having an abortion and then report that information to the state under a bill passed by the Arizona House on Monday.

Opponents of the bill have called it "intimidation."

"For any other medical procedure, we don't ask, or interfere with the doctor-patient relationship and ask the patient, 'Why are you doing this?' But when it comes to abortion, the government decides and is seeking to know the reasons why. I think that is overreach," said Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe.

Backers of the bill said it has to do with gaining information, not restricting abortions.

"It is not preventing abortion. It is not putting a huge burden on anyone, but it is information that we can use as we continue to move forward in this process," said Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert.

The bill also requires abortion providers to ask if the woman is a victim of rape or incest, or is being coerced into the procedure.

The legislation does not force a woman to answer the questions.

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