On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed S.B. 388 by a vote of 28 to six.
This good bill by Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil) and Rep. Joe Cloud (R – Russellville) requires any facility that performs abortions to be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health as an abortion facility.
S.B. 388 also prohibits abortions in hospitals except in cases of medical emergency.
Under current law, clinics are not required to be licensed or inspected as abortion facilities unless they perform more than ten abortions in a month.
This means that a clinic potentially could perform more than 100 abortions per year without being licensed or inspected as an abortion facility.
S.B. 388 addresses this problem in state law.
This bill will make it easier for the Arkansas Department of Health to enforce existing pro-life laws that restrict abortion at abortion facilities.
S.B. 388 will ensure that every clinic that performs abortions is licensed and inspected, and that Arkansas’ laws against abortion are properly followed.
The bill now goes to the Arkansas House for consideration.
