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The North Carolina Senate has given initial approval to a major piece of pro-life legislation that includes a 72-hour waiting period for abortion and a requirement that abortion clinics in the state are inspected annually. The Senate voted in favor of HB 465-Women and Children’s Protection Act of 2015 on the bill’s second reading on Thursday, May 28 by a 31 to 15 margin. The third reading vote is scheduled for Monday, June 1.

The House-passed version of HB 465 included provisions that would extend the informed consent waiting period for abortion from 24 to 72 hours and enhance the information abortionists have to report to the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) when they conduct an abortion after the 18th week of pregnancy.

The Senate Judiciary II Committee adopted a committee substitute for HB 465 on Wednesday, May 27, the day before the bill came to the Senate floor for consideration. This committee substitute includes the House measures described above, as well as provisions that would:

• Require DHHS to conduct annual inspections of abortion clinics and publish the results and findings of these inspections on the Department’s website;
• Prohibit abortion clinics from employing individuals less than 18 years of age;
• Require physicians who perform abortions, except in cases of a medical emergency, to be certified, or eligible to be certified, in obstetrics or gynecology;
• Require abortionists to report information to DHHS when they conduct an abortion after the 16th week of pregnancy;
• Create a Maternal Mortality Review Committee within DHHS to study and recommend ways to prevent maternal deaths resulting from complications during pregnancy or childbirth;
• Expand the scope of the state’s statutory rape law;
• Make administrative changes to the state’s child support laws;
• Permit electronic filing of domestic violence protective orders and civil no-contact orders; and
• Make other changes.

Assuming the Senate passes HB 465 on June 1, the bill will return to the House for consideration of the Senate’s changes.