Tennessee Bill Would Identify Doctors Who Perform Abortions And Could Identify Women Who Have Them

The Life Defense Act would name doctors performing abortions and information about women getting them.

The measure’s sponsor, Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough (pictured), said at an initial hearing on the bill earlier this month that the reporting requirement writes into law a form that the Department of Health already asks providers to fill out whenever they perform an abortion.

“The Department of Health already collects all of the data, but they don’t publish it,” he said. “All we’re asking is that the data they already collect be made public.”

It’s possible this could lead to identifying women who have the procedure.

…the bill also requires the Department of Health to release patient data broken down by county. Critics say that could reveal the identities of some women who receive abortions, particularly in small, rural communities.

“We have many small counties in the state,” Odom said. “There’s going to be circumstances where that woman’s going to be identified in that county.”

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.