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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Legislation that would ban Idaho women from receiving abortion-inducing medication through telemedicine —an option not currently available in the state— faces just one more hurdle before heading to the governor's desk for his signature.
The Senate State Affairs Committee endorsed the bill Monday, with the few Democratic members opposing, after listening to more than two hours of testimony primarily from anti-abortion organizations.
According to the legislation, doctors would be required to be present when administering pregnancy-ending pills. It also requires doctors to make "all reasonable efforts" to schedule a follow-up, but it does not specify how many days later.
"I think telemedicine is a useful technology, particularly when you're talking about having access that can't be in the room when you're working with your physician, but I don't think it's appropriate to create greater access to a lower standard of care," said President Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Idaho Falls.
Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, D-Boise, attempted to hold the bill in committee —a move often used to kill legislation— but her motion failed after Hill countered a motion to send the proposal to the Senate floor.
Supporters of the bill argue that the legislation better protects women's health against so-called "webcam abortions," which are not available in Idaho, because a handful of medical abortions sometimes require surgery. Others argued that they hoped the bill would reduce the number of abortions in the future.
Opponents, including Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, countered that telemedicine is not a casual webcam interaction. In other states, patients interact with a physician over secure and confidential channels in a licensed facility and undergo in-person exams before being cleared to take pregnancy-ending medication.
Currently, 16 states require that abortion-inducing medication must be given in person, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research center that supports abortion rights. Thirty-eight states —including Idaho— require licensed physicians to be the only ones to give abortion medication.
Planned Parenthood operates Idaho's only three health centers that provide abortion services. The center solely offers abortion-inducing medication in-person.
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