Indiana's new abortion law piles on restrictions, IU prof says

“Indiana already was one of the most restrictive states in the country,” said Johnsen, who has decades of experience working full time as a reproductive rights advocate and lawyer. “And now, we have all these other restrictions piled on.”

The controversial measure, which Gov. Mike Pence signed into law last week, made Indiana only the second state to prohibit a woman from seeking an abortion because her fetus was diagnosed with a disability such as Down syndrome. It also prohibits abortions when they are sought based on the gender or race of a fetus, and requires that the remains of miscarried or aborted fetuses be interred or cremated.

Also included in the law, which takes effect July 1, are provisions under which a doctor could face a wrongful-death lawsuit for providing an abortion to a woman who requests one due to a fetal disorder. Physicians also will be required to inform patients of hospice care available within a few weeks before and after birth if a fetus is not expected to survive outside the womb.

The new law has sparked national headlines and editorials and elicited heated rhetoric from those on both sides of the issue. Supporters say it will protect unborn babies who can’t protect themselves. Opponents say it’s an effort to increase abortion costs and shame women for using a legal medical procedure.

And it comes as the U.S. Supreme Court continues deliberations on Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, a case challenging abortion regulations in Texas.