Iowa Committee Passes Bill to Stop Mail Order Abortions

An Iowa Senate subcommittee advanced a bill that would stop mail-order abortions that are killing hundreds of thousands of babies nationwide. The pills are even being mailed to pro-life states like Iowa that offer protections for unborn children like its heartbeat law does.

The measure would require in-person dispensing of abortion-inducing drugs, effectively restricting mail-order and telehealth access to chemical abortion pills.

That is a move pro-life advocates hail as vital to protecting women from dangerous drugs shipped without medical oversight, which can lead to severe complications like hemorrhage, infection and incomplete abortions. It would also lower the number of abortions and also end coercion.

Senate Study Bill 3115 would mandate that abortion drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol be dispensed directly to the patient in a health care setting by a provider. The measure aims to prevent out-of-state abortion pill sellers from mailing the pills to Iowans, bypassing state restrictions and ensuring safety through in-person care.

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The subcommittee voted 2-1 on Monday, to recommend passage, with Republican Sens. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, and Cherielynn Westrich, R-Ottumwa, in support and Democratic Sen. Janice Weiner, D-Iowa City, opposing. Schultz, who chairs the subcommittee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he plans to propose amendments as the bill progresses.

Schultz emphasized the need to address unregulated access: “I can’t get past the idea that we’re dealing with probably a black market — unprescribed pharmaceuticals.”

Josiah Oleson with the Family Leader testified that since state and federal changes, “the abortion industry has developed a network of abortion drug dealers that operate outside of the medical system.”

He added: “They’ll provide abortion drugs to anyone for little to no fee. Boyfriends who don’t want to be a dad, human traffickers who stand to lose money, and anyone can pretty well get these pills.”

Oleson said these “black market suppliers” ignore adverse side effects and complications, supporting the bill to provide safety through greater doctor involvement.

Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates and a spokesperson for the Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders, said while her organization “would support taking this drug completely off the market,” the measure provides “common sense safeguards to ensure the safety of women who are ingesting this drug.”

The bill also requires physicians to provide customers with specific information, including about the possibility of reversing the effects of a chemical abortion and mandates reporting of complications to the state.

Pro-life advocates argue medication abortions, now over 60% of U.S. abortions, pose significant risks without in-person oversight.

A study of over 865,000 insurance claims found 10.93% of women experienced serious adverse events. A Finnish study of over 42,000 women reported 20% with adverse events, including 15.6% with hemorrhage, while a Canadian study showed 10.3% seeking emergency care.

“As a doctor and a strong pro-life conservative, I am committed to protecting mothers and the unborn,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. “The medical evidence is clear: chemical abortion drugs not only kill innocent babies, but also put women in serious danger.”

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