Panel hears bill to require KDHE consent forms and allow electronic delivery in Women's Right to Know law
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Summary
HB 2729 would require the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to provide the state's Woman's Right to Know consent form (paper or electronic) and amend posted notice language; proponents said standardizing forms strengthens the government's speech defense and eases compliance, while opponents said it preserves unconstitutional and medically unfounded disclosures and could impede patient-provider conversations.
House Bill 2729 would require the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to provide the woman's right-to-know consent form and permit the form to be supplied on white paper, hard copy or electronically. Committee staff said the bill also amends posting requirements to reference KDHE and would become effective upon publication in the statute book.
Proponents, including Britney Jones (Kansas Family Voice) and Lucretia Nold (Kansas Catholic Conference), argued standardization and a KDHE-supplied form would remove ambiguity, modernize an otherwise paper-based process, and strengthen the state's 'government speech' defense in ongoing litigation. "By establishing that the woman's rights notice disclosures are provided on forms drafted and supplied by KDHE, the legislature will make explicit what the trial record already shows," Jones told the committee.
Jean Gowden (Kansans for Life) and other proponents said KDHE already maintains related content online and that a standardized form would ensure consistent information across providers. They argued electronic delivery could improve access while hard copies would remain available for people without easy computer access.
Taylor Morton of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes opposed HB 2729, reiterating that the underlying statute contains medically unfounded statements and arguing electronic requirements could delay time-sensitive care and undermine the provider-patient relationship. Morton said the bill "does not fix the constitutional problems inherent to the law" and would preserve requirements opponents view as misinformation.
Committee members asked proponents about the expected time burden for the form and practical implications of electronic delivery; proponents said time would vary with KDHE's form design and stressed that women should have adequate time to review information. The committee closed the hearing after receiving oral and written testimony and noted bills would be scheduled for further action the next day.
