# Woman's Right To Know Act: Plain Language Summary

This bill would require abortion providers to give women specific information about medical risks and fetal development before performing an abortion. The key requirement is that a woman must receive and sign an "Informed Consent Authorization form" at least 24 hours before the procedure. This form must include information about the pregnancy's gestational age in days, all medical risks associated with the specific abortion procedure being used, and details about fetal development at that stage—including whether a heartbeat is present, whether the fetus can react to pain, and what organs and facial features have developed. A doctor, the woman, and a witness must all sign this form, which then gets kept in the patient's medical records.

The bill applies to any abortion provider operating in interstate commerce, meaning it would be federal law rather than just state-by-state rules. There's an exception if a doctor reasonably believes that waiting 24 hours would create a serious risk to the woman's life or cause substantial, irreversible physical harm to a major bodily function—though the bill specifically excludes psychological or emotional conditions from this exception. This means emergency situations where waiting could be dangerous would allow providers to skip the waiting period.

If a provider violates these requirements, they face significant financial penalties. The federal government can sue for civil penalties ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 for a first violation, and $150,001 to $250,000 for subsequent violations. Additionally, women (or parents of minor women) could sue the provider directly for damages including actual medical and psychological injuries, triple the cost of the abortion as a set penalty, and punitive damages meant to punish wrongdoing. Importantly, the bill explicitly protects women from being penalized—only providers face legal consequences. The bill also allows states to impose even stricter requirements if they choose to do so.

Woman’s Right To Know Act

Hartzler, Vicky

Woman's Right To Know Act This bill specifies requirements for&nbsp;informed consent that health care providers must obtain before performing an abortion procedure. Providers must present a woman seeking an abortion with an authorization form at least 24 hours before performing the procedure. The form must (1) include specified information concerning gestational age, associated developmental characteristics,&nbsp;and medical risks; (2) disclose penalties&nbsp;that&nbsp;providers may face for failing to obtain the requisite informed consent; and (3) include an affirmation that the individual signing the form understands the information. The form must be signed and witnessed in person and retained in the medical file. Providers do not&nbsp;have to obtain such consent if, in reasonable medical judgment, obtaining it would pose a greater risk of death or substantial physical impairment of a major bodily function, excluding psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman. The bill also establishes civil penalties for providers who do not comply with these requirements.