Senate receives House-passed bill on abortion-inducing drugs; referred to State Affairs

The Senate received a message from the House on Sept. 2 that the House had passed House Bill 7, “relating to prohibitions on the manufacture and provision of an abortion inducing drugs, including the jurisdiction of and effect of certain judgments by courts within and outside,” and the measure was placed on first reading and referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee.

Why it matters: House Bill 7, as described in the House message read into the Senate record, would place statutory prohibitions on the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs and would address how certain court judgments apply across jurisdictions. The bill’s legal and public-health implications would be considered by the State Affairs Committee if the committee schedules hearings.

During the brief floor exchange, a House messenger delivered the text of the House action to the chamber and the Senate secretary read the list of bills and resolutions that were on first reading and referred to committee. The Senate did not debate the substance of House Bill 7 on the floor during this session; the transcript shows only the House message and the secretary’s reading.

No formal Senate vote on the bill’s substance was recorded during the session. The transcript records a procedural referral to committee; the identity of the committee named in the secretary’s reading is the State Affairs Committee. The Senate then stood adjourned until 1 p.m. on Sept. 2 pursuant to a previously adopted motion.

The Senate has not taken further action on House Bill 7 in the portion of the record provided here; committee scheduling, hearings, amendments, or votes are not specified in the transcript.