Arizona lawmakers today gave final passage to CAP-supported bill SB 1394, enhancing Arizona’s abortion reporting laws. Sponsored by Senator Nancy Barto, this bill provides critical data to state policymakers as they seek to improve the health and wellbeing of Arizonans. Good policy requires good data.

The Arizona Senate passed SB 1394 by a vote of 17-13, making sure they have better data to make policy decisions going forward. Earlier this week, the Arizona House passed SB 1394 by a vote of 35-22-3. The bill now goes to Governor Ducey for his consideration.

This vote should have been unanimous by both houses. It’s unfortunate that those who favor legalized abortion are so blinded by their ideology that they choose to oppose reporting requirements designed to help meet the needs of women and to assist policymakers. I encourage all Arizonans to look beyond the rhetoric and read this common-sense legislation.

In 2010, the enactment of SB 1304 created a statutory requirement to report abortions and complications related to abortions to the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS). Since that time, many states have passed their own abortion reporting statutes, many of which bring to light valuable information that is not available under Arizona law. SB 1394 enhances Arizona’s abortion reporting laws by adopting provisions from other states, most notably Minnesota and Oklahoma.

More specifically, this bill enhances existing abortion reporting laws by expanding information required in abortion reports and abortion complication reports, creating a new informed consent report, and by requiring more specific information in the annual abortion statistical report prepared by DHS.

A key amendment by Rep. Eddie Farnsworth adds provisions to assist women who have been victims of sexual assault or sex trafficking. Victims of criminal acts would be given the resources to seek justice for the perpetrator and to get services meeting their needs, if they so choose. Victims of sex trafficking would also be given the national hotline for human trafficking.

I thank the House and the Senate majorities for their bold actions in protecting the health and wellbeing of Arizona women.

Lastly, thank you for partnering with us in our advocacy at the State Capitol. To help continue and further