An Act To Educate Women on the Medical Risks Associated with Abortion
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0025
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: DUPREY, SNOWE-MELLO, CRESSEY, HALL, HAMPER, JOY, SHERMAN, THOMAS

Legislative Document 
No. 25 
H.P.28 
House of Representatives, January 6, 2005 
An Act To Educate Women on the Medical Risks Associated with 
Abortion 
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed. 
1J1~ 
m.7ild£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative DUPREY of Hampden. 
Cosponsored by Senator SNOWE-MELLO of Androscoggin and 
Representatives: CRESSEY of Baldwin, HALL of Holden, HAMPER of Oxford, JOY of 
Crystal, SHERMAN of Hodgdon, THOMAS of Ripley. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 22 MRSA §IS99-A, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 61, 
§4, is amended to read: 
2. 
Informed consent. 
To ensure that the consent for an 
abortion is truly informed consent, the attending physician shall 
inform the woman orally and in writing at least 24 hours prior to 
performing an abortion, 
in a 
manner that in the physician's 
professional 
judgment 
is 
not 
misleading 
and 
that 
will 
be 
understood by the patient, of at least the following: 
A. 
According 
to 
the 
physician's 
best 
judgment 
she 
is 
pregnant; 
B ... - -!l'-be- -&1:iffi&e-F--e.f. 
~Ie e jE S -e ~apsee- ..f-r~ -1:.ae. -f'.£eB-aB~€- -4:-ifR.e- -0 ~ 
t;ae-eeReept;ioRt 
B-1. 
The 
probable 
gestational 
age 
and 
anatomical 
development of 
the fetus 
at the 
time 
of 
the 
scheduled 
abortion; 
b ... --!l'-be--p&F-1:.iG~~F--.£i6k6-~~~-w1t.b-~€.£-~-p~e~RaRey 
aRe-t;ae-agept;ieR-t;eeaRi~~e-t;e-ge-pe~Ee~meet-aRe 
C-l. 
The physical and psychological risks associated with 
abortion and the abortion technique to be performed, in view 
of that woman's own pregnancy. 
These risks must include, 
but are not limited to, the risks described in the pamphlet 
published by the Bureau of Health pursuant to subsection 3; 
D. 
At;--1;h&-~'-s--.£€~-\l-€-6-t.-,--a~t;e~Rat;ives Alternatives to 
abortion such as childbirth and adoption and information 
concerning public and private agencies that will provide the 
woman with economic and other assistance to carry the fetus 
to term, 
includingT--U--.t.~e--WGffia-&--&€>--~e~~est;sT a list of 
these agencies and the services available from each ... ~ 
E. 
The name of the physician who is to perform the abortion. 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §IS99-A, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. 
Bureau of Health to publish pamphlet: rules. 
The Bureau 
of Health shall publish and periodically update as necessary a 
pamphlet that describes both the physical and psychological known 
risks of abortion. 
The risks described in the pamphlet must 
include, but are not limited to, perforated uterus, hemorrhage, 
death, incompetent cervix, retained fetal parts after abortion, 
grief, 
sense 
of 
loss, 
anger f 
depression, 
alienatiol! 
and 
lu\', 
self esteem. 
The 
Bureau of 
Health shall 
send copie,; 
of 
the 
Page l-LR0303(1) 
pamphlet 
to 
each physician licensed 
and practicing in this 
State. 
The Bureau of Health shall adopt rules, which are major 
substanti ve 
rules 
as 
described 
in 
Title 
5, 
chapter 
5 , 
subchapter 2-8, to implement this subsection. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends 
the 
laws governing informed consent to 
abortion to require the attending physician to provide the woman 
with certain information orally and in writing at least 24 hours 
prior to performing an abortion. 
The bill further amends these 
laws 
to 
require 
that this 
information 
include 
the 
probable 
gestational age and anatomical development of the fetus at the 
time of the scheduled abortion; the physical and psychological 
risks associated with abortion and the abortion technique to be 
performed, 
in view of the patient's own pregnancy, 
including 
risks identified in a 
pamphlet that the Department of Human 
Services, Bureau of Health is required to publish and distribute 
to doctors; and the name of the physician who is to perform the 
abortion.