Abortion Reporting Requirements
About this dataset:
This dataset is valid through October 1, 2021. It does not include any laws enacted or changed after that date, and does not reflect the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. This database is updated annually, with the next publication scheduled for December 2022.
Most states have laws that require abortion providers to submit one or more of the following types of reports: general reports regarding abortion procedures; reports related to abortion complications; informed consent reports; medical emergency reports; and reports regarding a minor’s abortion. Some of the information that may be required to appear in the reports includes: demographic information about the patient; the gestational age of the fetus; the abortion procedure used; the patient’s reason for abortion; the patient’s pregnancy history; fetal heartbeat detection; and the method of payment. Many of these laws require some degree of confidentiality to protect the patient and/or the abortion provider.
This dataset explores abortion regulations in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in effect from December 1, 2018 through October 1, 2021, as well as case law and attorney general opinions that affect the enforceability of these laws.
This dataset is a part of a suite of 16 datasets created by the Policy Surveillance Program of the Center for Public Health Law Research in collaboration with subject matter experts from the Guttmacher Institute, Resources for Abortion Delivery (RAD), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), National Abortion Federation (NAF), and Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), who conceptualized and developed the Abortion Law Project. If you need broader contextual information on state laws and policies, national level information, or data and evidence related to abortion and other reproductive health issues, please contact the Guttmacher Institute at [email protected].
Disclaimer: The information contained herein does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions regarding your legal rights or obligations, contact an attorney. If you are an abortion provider seeking legal compliance guidance, the following collaborating organizations may be able to assist you: ACLU, CRR, PPFA (for affiliated health centers), NAF, and Regulatory Assistance for Abortion Providers (a project of RAD).
If you have any questions about the information provided here, please contact [email protected] or [email protected].