NEW ORLEANS – Governor Edwards has signed Senate Bill 342, the Reaffirmation of the Human Life Protection Act by Senator Katrina Jackson, and Senate Bill 388, the Mail-Order Abortion Prohibition Act by Senator Sharon Hewitt,
into law.
Senator Jackson said the following about SB 342: "Louisiana is committed to protecting life and supporting moms. SB 342 enhances current pro-life law by providing clarity and consistency across Louisiana law. I thank Governor Edwards and my fellow legislators for standing with me to pass SB 342 and prepare for the day when Louisiana can protect all of its citizens, including those waiting to be born."
Both bills were Louisiana Right to Life's legislative priorities during the 2022 Legislative Session. SB 342 reaffirms current Louisiana law stating that unborn babies will be protected from abortion when Roe v. Wade is overturned. SB 388 creates the crime of the illegal sale of chemical abortions, especially when ordered online without medical oversight.
Among other things, SB 342 does the following:
- Reaffirms current Louisiana law stating that unborn babies will be protected from abortion when Roe v. Wade is overturned.
- Updates pro-life law by providing consistency and clarity on abortion across the Louisiana civil and criminal code.
- Holds those performing or selling abortion responsible with criminal and civil penalties, rather than abortion-vulnerable women.
- Ensures that abortion facilities will be closed when Roe v. Wade is overturned.
- SB 342 ensures that physicians can appropriately handle miscarriages and work to save the life of the pregnant mother when her life is in danger.
- SB 342 includes language clarifying that contraceptives or emergency contraceptives are not considered abortions.
SB 342 does provide an exception in the rare cases of medical futility but does not provide abortion in cases when the pregnancy is a result of rape and incest. However, the law does protect the ability for emergency contraceptives to be provided to rape and incest victims.
SB 388 helps stop the illegal sale of chemical abortions, both now and in a post-Roe Louisiana.
Benjamin Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life, said the following about Gov. Edwards signing SB 342 and SB 388 into law: "With the passage of SB 342 and 388, we are one step closer to an abortion-free future in Louisiana. We are grateful that Gov. Edwards has signed SB 342 into law to reaffirm Louisiana’s longstanding policy that we will protect unborn babies from abortion when Roe v. Wade is overturned. We applauded Senator Katrina Jackson for her dedication and leadership in authoring SB 342 and thank Representative Julie Emerson for carrying SB 342 on the House floor."
"We also applaud Gov. Edwards for signing SB 388 into law to stop the dangerous unsupervised online sale of chemical abortion pills into Louisiana. Not only does SB 388 protect the lives of unborn babies, it also protects the health and safety of women who are purchasing chemical abortion pills without any medical exam or oversight. We commend Senator Sharon Hewitt for her commitment to life and the health of women by authoring SB 388 and Representative Laurie Schlegel for carrying the bill on the House floor."
He concluded, "The passage of SB 342 and 388 complement the additional state funding allocated to provide alternatives to abortion for mothers in need. Louisiana has an abundance of public and private agencies standing by to help mothers and children before and after birth."
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