With the new year, several new laws went into effect in Arizona, including one that deals with the reporting of abortions performed in the state.
Senate Bill 1394 increases the amount of information that providers of abortions must report to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
"A hospital or facility in this state where abortions are performed must submit to the department of health services on a form prescribed by the department a report of each abortion performed in the hospital or facility."
The law says the report "shall not identify the individual patient by name," but it must include her age, educational background, race and ethnicity, and marital status among other things.
The report also must include the reason for the abortion, including "whether the abortion is elective or due to maternal or fetal health considerations." And, how many previous pregnancies or prior abortions the woman has had.
Doctors or providers will have to ask whether the woman seeking an abortion was coerced into getting the procedure or if they are a victim of sex trafficking or if the pregnancy was the result of sexual assault.
The bill will also require the hospital or facility to provide information to assist the woman in reporting to law enforcement if she does disclose she's the victim of a crime.
On her website, Republican state Sen. Nancy Barto, who introduced the bill, says SB 1394 improves protections for victims of sex trafficking and women who are "at risk for coerced abortions."
The bill, "puts Arizona’s reporting laws into the “best practices” category among states," she wrote.
Pro-choice groups, however, don't agree.
In an article from February 2018, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona said the bill would "add to Arizona’s already robust reporting requirements, bordering on harassment."
The bill was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey in April 2018.
A report by the ADHS shows there were roughly more than 12,000 abortions by Arizona residents in 2017 with a ratio of 151 abortions per 1,000 live births.
According to the new law, a patient can decline to provide a reason for the abortion.
