Iowa House Republicans would make it a felony to “manufacture, distribute, prescribe, dispense, sell or transfer” abortion drugs in Iowa.
According to House File 146, filed Monday, the bill will not include penalties for the women who take or obtain the pills, and it doesn’t include birth control.
Despite abortion being legal in Iowa until the 20th week of pregnancy, the bill would make it a crime for someone to provide the most common method of abortion in the country. The penalty would mean “confinement for no more than 10 years and a fine of at least $1,370 but not more than $13,660.”
Medication abortion is typically used in the first 10-11 weeks of pregnancy when it’s most effective. Patients take one pill, and then, 24 hours later, take a second one. Failure rate is documented in only 1.1% of patients.
