Kansas Home Passes Three Professional-Life Payments
The Kansas House on Wednesday passed three pro-life measures aimed at strengthening informed consent for women considering abortion, facilitating legal recourse against abortionists in certain cases, and protecting pregnancy resource centers that offer life-affirming alternatives.
The bills—House Bills 2727, 2729, and 2635—each advanced on a veto-proof 87-37 vote and now head to the Senate for consideration.
HB 2727 amends the existing Woman’s Right to Know Act, which requires women to receive specific information before an abortion, including the risks and alternatives, details about the developing child, notice of available support services, and other material facts.
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The measure allows women to bypass the medical malpractice screening panel—typically composed of doctors in the same specialty and area, a process that can take up to 180 days and is frequently rejected in abortion-related cases—potentially making lawsuits faster and less expensive.
“The Woman’s Right to Know Act guarantees Kansas women the right to receive truthful, scientifically accurate information before undergoing an abortion,” Brittany Jones, Kansas Family Voice president, said in her testimony for the bill.
She noted that malpractice panels in abortion cases “are very typically rejected.”
The bill also includes language on damages, with Jones stating: “A woman who has not been told about the risks of abortion, who was not informed that she could withdraw her consent, or who was not given the opportunity to view an ultrasound may not suffer quantifiable economic damages in the traditional sense. Yet the violation of her statutory rights is real and serious.”
HB 2729 requires abortion sellers to furnish women seeking an abortion with a form from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at least 24 hours in advance. The form addresses risks and side effects of mifepristone, the drug used in most chemical abortions.
It states that mifepristone “doesn’t always kill the baby without other drugs or a second dose,” and “may be possible to reverse its intended effect if the second pill or tablet has not been taken or administered.” It adds: “If you change your mind and wish to try to continue the pregnancy, you can get immediate help by accessing available resources.”
The form also references risks including “risk of premature birth in future pregnancies, risk of breast cancer and risks to the woman’s reproductive health.”
Jones said of the measure: “The state of Kansas has every right to communicate truthful, scientifically supported information to women considering abortion.”
HB 2635, known as the Pregnancy Center Autonomy and Rights of Expression Act, safeguards private, nonprofit pro-life pregnancy centers by prohibiting requirements that they offer abortions, provide pro-abortion counseling, or display abortion-related advertisements. It affirms their ability to deliver pregnancy-related support as an alternative to abortion.
