New Bill Could Require Abortion Statistics

Maryland senators are scheduled to hear testimony on a bill that would require hospitals and abortion providers to report the number of pregnancies they terminate.
 
The bill, which will be considered Wednesday, would require the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to collect demographic information including the age, race and marital status of women treated in Maryland.
 
The reports would also include the estimated gestational age of the fetus at the time of the abortion and the number of prior pregnancies the patient has had, as well as an explanation of the “outcome” of those pregnancies.
 
The report would not include the patients' names, nor would they be considered a public record.
 
A version of the legislation has also been introduced in the House of Delegates.