Bill Filed to Crack Down on Abortion Pill Trafficking in Arkansas

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Legislation filed on Tuesday would strengthen penalties for violating Arkansas laws concerning abortion-inducing drugs.

Currently, Arkansas law generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother, and the state’s Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act, which passed in 2021, makes it a crime to mail or deliver drugs like RU-486 into Arkansas for purposes of abortion.

Last year Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued cease-and-desist letters to New York companies advertising abortion pills in Arkansas. The letters alleged the companies were violating Arkansas law, and the A.G.’s office later announced the advertisements for abortion pills stopped as a result of their cease-and-desist.

However, NPR reported last year that lawmakers in some pro-abortion states have enacted “shield laws” to protect abortionists who ship abortion drugs across state lines. The shield laws give abortionists immunity from civil or criminal liability and prevent them from being extradited to the state where the abortion drugs were sent.

H.B. 1678 by Rep. Wayne Long (R — Bradford) would amend Arkansas’ Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act to help address this problem. The bill would increase the penalty for selling or prescribing abortion-inducing drugs — making the crime a felony and levying a $50,000 fine against doctors, pharmacists, or other individuals who break the law.

The bill also would also make it easier to take a person to court for violating the Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act, and it would clarify that selling or prescribing illegal abortion drugs is considered a form of “deceptive trade” under Arkansas law.

All of this would provide additional options for enforcing Arkansas’ pro-life laws.

Abortion-inducing drugs take the life of an unborn child. They also carry significant health risks for women — including risks of sepsis and death. In some cases, abortion drugs actually can be more dangerous for women than surgical abortion procedures. That is why states like Arkansas have prohibited the delivery of abortion drugs from out of state.

H.B. 1678 would help tighten state restrictions on abortion drugs — which would provide better protection for women and unborn children in Arkansas.

You Can Read H.B. 1678 Here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Rep. Cooper Proposes Tax Credit Legislation for Pregnancy Help Organizations

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On Thursday Rep. Cameron Cooper (R — Romance) and Family Council’s Charisse Dean presented H.B. 1404 in the House Revenue and Tax Committee.

This good bill creates a state income tax credit for donations to pregnancy help organizations — such as pregnancy resource centers and similar charities.

Many of these charities provide everything from ultrasounds and pregnancy tests to maternity clothes and adoption referrals — typically free of charge. They often operate on very tight budgets and rely heavily on volunteers and donations.

Under H.B. 1404, taxpayers could receive a 50% income tax credit for contributions to qualified pregnancy help organizations.

The bill would not provide a tax credit for donations to abortionists or their affiliates.

Now that Roe v. Wade has been reversed and Arkansas has prohibited abortion except to save the life of the mother, we need to step up and help women with unplanned pregnancies.

Supporting pregnancy help organizations is part of our long term strategy to reduce the demand for abortion in Arkansas.

The House Revenue and Tax Committee has not voted on H.B. 1404 yet, but they have heard testimony regarding the bill. You can watch some of Rep. Cooper’s comments below.

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New Legislation Would Bring Clarity to Arkansas’ Abortion Laws

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A bill filed at the Arkansas Legislature on Wednesday aims to clarify state law concerning abortion.

In 2019, Arkansas passed Act 180 prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, the state began enforcing Act 180. Today, abortion in Arkansas is prohibited except when the mother’s life is at risk in a medical emergency.

H.B. 1610 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R — Texarkana) would clarify the definition of “medical emergency” in cases where the mother’s life is at risk. The bill would also strengthen legal protections for doctors who treat pregnant women, and would make it clear that abortion remains illegal in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother.

H.B. 1610 would help clarify that “medical emergency” refers to situations where the woman’s life is in danger from a physical disorder, illness, or injury​.

The bill says that psychological or emotional conditions cannot be used to justify abortion. This would help prevent an abortionist or a judge from trying to broaden Arkansas’ exceptions for abortion.

H.B. 1610 outlines how doctors decide if an abortion is necessary to save a mother’s life.

Under H.B. 1610, physicians would use “reasonable medical judgment” to determine whether abortion is necessary. This is the same medical and legal standard used to make other important medical decisions.

The bill also says that a child should not be aborted when there are other ways besides abortion to save the life of the mother.

And H.B. 1610 makes it clear that a doctor does not violate the law if an unborn child accidentally or unintentionally dies because of legitimate medical treatment the doctor provided to the mother.

All of this would help close possible loopholes in Arkansas’ abortion law.

Arkansas has been named the most pro-life state in America, and lawmakers have enacted dozens of good measures protecting women and unborn children from abortion — including laws that generally prohibit abortion except to save the life of the mother.

H.B. 1610 is a good bill that would bring better clarity to Arkansas’ abortion laws and make it easier for the state to continue protecting innocent human life.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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