ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia Republicans advanced a bill Wednesday that would ban the delivery of abortion pills by mail and require women to be examined by a physician in person before the pills are dispensed.
The state Senate’s health and human services committee voted 7-5 in favor of the legislation after an expedited hearing that drew abortion opponents and supporters. The bill would still need approval from the state Senate and House before it could become law.
More than a dozen other Republican-led states have passed measures limiting access to the pills, including outlawing delivery by mail. The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court recently signaled it was ready to make seismic changes to the nationwide right to abortion that has stood for nearly half a century. If the court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision entirely, GOP-controlled states such as Georgia would be likely to severely restrict abortion access, potentially causing more women to seek out abortion pills by mail.
Proponents of the Georgia bill say drug-induced abortion can lead to complications, so physicians need to closely monitor patients. Critics say the procedure carries little risk, and the bill’s true aim is to impede access to abortions.
“In the name of safety, this bill sets out requirements for which there is no current medical justification,” said Dr. Melissa Kottke, a specialist in pregnancy and contraception at Emory University and the past president of the Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society. “Indeed, it denies medical advancements, and ultimately this bill will put into law substandard medical care. It will do harm.”