Oklahoma Bill Seeks to Establish a Comprehensive Database for Everyone Who Receives an Abortion

The proposed Oklahoma Right To Human Life Act, initiated by State Representative Kevin West, has advanced one step further towards becoming law.

Abortion Database Plan

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Recently passing the Public Health Committee, this Oklahoma bill aims to establish a comprehensive database, recording every individual who has undergone an abortion.

The database, managed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, would use a “unique patient identifier” for each person, tracking the number and timing of their abortions.

Privacy vs. Policy

Subject to court orders, this confidential information, including the patient’s identity, could be disclosed to law enforcement.

Medical Necessity

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Notably, Oklahoma’s current law prohibits all abortions, except those critical for the mother’s life, with no allowances for cases of rape or incest.

No Exceptions?

Tamya Cox-Toure, the ACLU of Oklahoma’s Executive Director, expressed concerns that the law might deter patients from seeking medically necessary abortions and dissuade doctors from performing them.

Privacy Concerns

Speaking to The Daily Beast, Tamya Cox-Toure highlighted that individuals terminating pregnancies for medical reasons, specifically to preserve their health, would be included in the database.

Stigma and Confidentiality

She further emphasized the ‘stigma’ surrounding such decisions, even in life-saving scenarios, and criticized the mandatory disclosure of this information as a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality and informed consent principles.

Fear and Shame

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson criticized the bill to The Daily Beast as a tool for instilling ‘fear and shame’ in both abortion seekers and healthcare providers. State.

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

Representative Trish Ranson echoed these concerns, labeling it a ‘major privacy issue.’ Ransom, as reported by Fox 25, stressed the sacredness of doctor-patient confidentiality, expressing alarm over the proposed tracking system.

Death Records and Abortion Data

The bill’s author, Representative Kevin West, compared abortion tracking to death record-keeping while admitting potential adjustments to protect patient anonymity.

He acknowledged the bill’s drafting assistance from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a group recently involved in significant anti-abortion legal actions.

Contraceptive Bans

Committee members worried that the law might extend to banning contraceptives like intrauterine devices, but Representative Kevin West intends to amend the bill to target over-the-counter emergency contraception, as per The Oklahoman.

Medical Emergency Definition

There’s ambiguity in states with abortion bans, including Oklahoma, regarding the definition of a medical emergency, leading to cases of denied care in critical situations.

Individual Cases

In Texas, Katie Cox sued the state after being denied an abortion for her fatally flawed pregnancy, eventually seeking treatment elsewhere.

Additionally, 22 women are suing Texas for not receiving necessary abortion care.

‘Extreme’ Abortion Proposals

Sam Paisley, from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, strongly criticized the Oklahoma law for its severe measures, including potential contraceptive bans and the creation of an abortion database.

Abortion-Inducing Medications

The House Judiciary-Criminal Committee in Oklahoma recently passed a bill that could significantly escalate the legal consequences for those involved with abortion-inducing medications like mifepristone. This legislation comes in the wake of increased online orders for abortion pills following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

These pills have become an important alternative for individuals who find in-clinic abortions inaccessible due to new, restrictive abortion laws.

Fines Up To $100,000

Under the proposed bill, individuals caught distributing or possessing abortion pills with the intention to distribute could face severe penalties, including up to a decade in prison or fines reaching $100,000.

Concerns Over Legislative Barrage

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson expressed her concern about the public becoming desensitized to the barrage of anti-abortion bills introduced in Oklahoma’s state legislature since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Resistance Fading?

She fears that the continuous stream of such legislation might lead to a sense of inevitability among the public, potentially dampening active opposition and engagement.

Normalization of Anti-Abortion Bills

Munson shared her apprehension that these bills are not only becoming normalized but are also being passed too swiftly and without adequate scrutiny or resistance. “My fear is that the public just sort of expects all of this to happen,” she expressed. “I fear that people maybe feel like they can’t make a difference.”

“Because these move so quickly, I’m just worried they’re passing too easily.”