Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) on Thursday signed into law two antiabortion-rights bills, the AP/Sacramento Bee reports.
According to the AP/Bee, both laws take effect on Aug. 1 (AP/Sacramento Bee, 5/20).
Mandatory delay law
One of the new laws (Act 97) will extend the state's mandatory delay before an abortion from 24 to 72 hours. The law, proposed by state Rep. Frank Hoffman (R), will not apply to women who live 150 miles or more from their nearest abortion clinic. However, those women will still be required to delay care for at least 24 hours after the initial visit.
Five other states already have 72-hour mandatory delays in place. Overall, 28 states have enacted mandatory delay laws. According to abortion-rights supporters, the extended Louisiana mandatory delay requirement likely will face a legal challenge (Women's Health Care Policy Report, 5/13).
Provider certification law
Bel Edwards also signed into law a measure (Act 98) that will impose new certification requirements for abortion providers.
Under the law -- sponsored by state Rep. Katrina Jackson (D), an abortion-rights opponent -- abortion providers will be required to be board certified or certifiable in either family medicine or OB-GYN. Medical students in OB-GYN or family medicine residency programs will be allowed to provide abortion care only under the "direct supervision" of a board-certified physician (Women's Health Policy Report, 5/11).


