On March 11, Ohio State Representative Jean Schmidt proposed House Bill 754, which plans to increase documentation concerning pregnancy and fetal death. It has caught the attention of many due to its extended oversight if the bill were to be passed.
HB 754 proposes that if a fetal heartbeat is detected by a physician during the examination of a pregnant woman, a certificate of life must be filed within 10 days. This subsequently requires a certificate of death to be filed for fetal deaths anytime after the certificate of life is filled. This includes abortions, miscarriages, stillbirths and more at any point after. It has also been proposed that in the medical certification portion of the certificate, there would be a space to indicate the specific cause of fetal death.
Currently, states may require fetal death certification for either all products of human conception, some after 20 weeks of gestation or those of a certain fetal weight. As of now, Ohio falls under the “20 weeks of gestation or more” ruling; if HB 754 is passed, this will be reduced to anytime after the certificate of life is filled.
Schmidt is a Republican serving her third term in the Ohio House of Representatives. She represents the 62nd Ohio House District located in the northwestern portion of Clermont County and has also served as President of the Cincinnati Right to Life, a pro-life group centered on their opposition to abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide.
In a press release on March 17, Schmidt stated that “life begins in the womb, and we must acknowledge that.” Her proposed bill reflects her values and experience as a part of the Cincinnati Right to Life.
In response to Schmidt’s proposal, Ohio State Representative Terrence Upchurch, a Democrat from District 20, condemned the bill in a press release on March 25.
“This legislation is an extreme overreach of power and a complete violation of privacy,” Upchurch said. “The people of Ohio voted to enshrine reproductive rights into our constitution, and this bill is just another attempt to strip away those rights.”
The bill would dramatically extend reporting of abortions in Ohio and could create increased privacy concerns for patients over abortion. For reference, because over 90% of abortions are typically done before this “20 week due date” requirement, they typically aren’t documented. With this bill, they would be.
As of last week, March 22 to March 28, the bill is currently in the House Committee and has not been introduced to the Senate. However, the future of the bill remains unclear, and both supporters and opponents are closely monitoring its progress.