Louisiana lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill targeting out-of-state doctors and activists who prescribe, sell, or provide abortion pills to state residents. The legislation broadens the state’s existing law, which allows women to sue doctors performing abortions in Louisiana, to include those outside the state who are involved in mailing, prescribing, or coordinating the sale of pregnancy-ending drugs to Louisiana residents.
The measure, which further restricts access to abortion pills, now awaits approval from conservative Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.
Attorney General Liz Murrill said the bill responds to a recent criminal case against a New York doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills online to a pregnant Louisiana minor. Murrill described the bill as “another tool” to deter and hold accountable those violating Louisiana’s strict abortion laws.
Similar laws have been adopted in Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas as part of ongoing disputes between conservative and liberal states over abortion medication distributed across state lines.
Under the new law, the mother of the fetus can sue anyone who “performs, causes, or substantially facilitates an abortion.” This includes those administering, prescribing, distributing, or selling abortion-inducing drugs within Louisiana. The bill excludes legal uses of such drugs and exempts licensed Louisiana health providers and pharmacists complying with state rules.
Abortions in Louisiana remain legal only when the mother’s life is at substantial risk or the fetus has a fatal abnormality. Women have up to 10 years after an abortion to file lawsuits under the new measure.
Opponents argue the bill is unnecessary given Louisiana’s already strict abortion restrictions and warn it could worsen women’s healthcare access and prompt doctors to leave the state. Democratic State Sen. Royce Duplessis called the legislation a continued effort by conservatives to control women’s healthcare decisions.
Louisiana already punishes illegal abortions with up to 15 years in prison. Last year, abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol were added to the state’s controlled substances list, criminalizing possession without a prescription.
Attorney General Murrill emphasized the need to close perceived “loopholes,” citing the case of Margaret Carpenter, a New York doctor charged in Louisiana for allegedly sending abortion pills to a pregnant minor. Despite demands from Louisiana, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul refused to extradite Carpenter.
The case is among the first since the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and may test interstate legal protections for abortion providers. Carpenter also faces a $100,000 fine in Texas for similar accusations, though enforcement has been blocked by New York’s shield law protecting doctors.
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