The bill, known as "The Catherine and Josephine Herring Act," introduces several significant changes to Louisiana's laws regarding abortion and related substances. It establishes the crime of "coerced criminal abortion by means of fraud," which occurs when an individual uses abortion-inducing drugs on a pregnant woman without her knowledge or consent, with penalties ranging from five to twenty years of hard labor and substantial fines depending on the gestational age of the unborn child. Additionally, the bill amends the definition of "abortion" to include the termination of a pregnancy regardless of whether the child survives and adds mifepristone and misoprostol to Schedule IV of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, while allowing pregnant women to possess these substances for personal use.

Furthermore, the bill expands the definition of racketeering activity to include criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs. It mandates that the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy and the Louisiana Department of Health inform pharmacists and healthcare providers about the new provisions, ensuring that lawful prescriptions for mifepristone and misoprostol can be filled and administered in accordance with the law. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2024, and includes a severability clause to maintain the validity of the remaining provisions if any part is found invalid.

Statutes affected:
SB276 Original: 14:7(A), 14:8(A), 14:9(A)
SB276 Engrossed: 14:7(A), 14:8(A), 14:9(A)
SB276 Enrolled: 14:1(1)
SB276 Act : 14:1(1)