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| Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine |
SB 260 requires that a physician be present when mifepristone, the first drug of the abortion pill regimen, is administered. Physicians who fail to adhere to the law could be found guilty of a fourth-degree felony and could lose their medical license if they repeatedly neglect the law.
The rules put in place by the Ohio law closely mirror the FDA's Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) regulations, which similarly prohibit the distribution of mifepristone via telemedicine. The enforcement of those requirements was temporarily blocked by a district judge until earlier this week, when the Supreme Court ruled to have them reinstated.
While they may be redundant for the time being, it is certainly possible that the FDA'S regulation of abortion will change under the incoming Biden administration, and the passage of this law will be able to protect women and unborn children throughout Ohio.
“To me this bill is about safety,” said physician and state senator Stephen Huffman, who sponsored the bill. “It’s not about limiting access. It’s about the safety of that woman.”
