LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Arkansas lawmakers have given final approval to legislation requiring women seeking an abortion to call a hotline before they can undergo the procedure.
The Senate on Thursday (Feb. 4) approved the measure by a 28-5 vote. It is one of several that have been filed in the majority-Republican Legislature. The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson's desk.
The measure requires the state to set up a toll-free number that women can call that will provide information on services available if they decide to not have an abortion.
The Arkansas Department of Health has said it will cost $175,000 to set up the hotline and $4.8 million to operate it annually, according to CBS.
"The idea with this is that you're empowering women in order to be able to make the choice to not have an abortion," Republican Sen. Bob Ballinger said.
Critics of the bill say it's another way to shame women trying to have an abortion.
"These continuing and demeaning attempts to shame people for their personal medical decisions and block them from care are backward motions that hurt Arkansans," Holly Dickson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, said in a statement.
Doctors in Arkansas who perform an abortion without checking that the patient has undergone the counseling could face a $5,000 fine, and the bill requires the state to audit facilities' records to ensure compliance with the measure.
The proposal requires the hotline to be set up by 2023.
