SB276 introduces the crime of "coerced criminal abortion by means of fraud." This offense involves a third party knowingly administering an abortion-inducing drug to a pregnant woman without her knowledge or consent, aiming to terminate the pregnancy without her awareness. The law also reclassifies mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances, meaning these medications require a prescription for legal possession.
The Louisiana State House of Representatives passed SB276 on May 21, 2024 by a vote of 65 to 31. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because safeguarding human life—not facilitating its destruction—is the government’s highest duty. This legislation upholds that principle by protecting preborn children from coerced abortion. The right to life is the most fundamental, God-given, and “unalienable” right, as affirmed in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Furthermore, this right is safeguarded by the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ensuring that no person is deprived of life, whether born or unborn, without due process of law.
