In Ohio, the following restrictions were in effect as of May 1, 2018
  • A woman MUST receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage her from having an abortion and then wait 24 hours before the procedure in provided.  Counseling must be provided in person and must take place before the waiting period begins, thereby necessitating two trips to the facility.  ORC info
  • Health plans offered in the state's health exchange under the Affordable Care Act and in policies for public employees, can only cover abortion in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
  • Medication abortion must be provided using FDA protocol.  The use of telemedicine to administer medication abortion is prohibited.
  • The parent of a minor must consent before an abortion is provided.  ORC info
  • Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
  • Most women will undergo an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion; since the provider must test for a fetal heartbeat.  The woman will be offered the option to view the image. ORC info
  • The courts cannot order an abortion.  ORC info
  • An abortion cannot be performed or elected because the child may have down syndrome.  ORC info
Greater Toledo Right To LIFE has had many legislative accomplishments since actively engaging a lobbyist in Columbus. 
In summary from 2016 to current:
  1. Fought and ultimately defeated a measure (SB 165) that would create a law to have end of life decision documents that could cause confusion and ultimately be used as a means of pushing Ohio toward the legalization of "death with dignity" (Euthanasia) legislation.​
  2. Successful in drafting and having adopted into law language that makes the act of assisting someone to commit suicide a third-degree felony with a minimum mandatory 1-5 year prison sentence in HB 470.
  3. Stood firm on getting an amendment into the pain-capable unborn child protection act (SB 127) that removed existing language in the bill which created an open-ended exception to the abortion ban based on the ever-expanding definition of health issues faced by the pregnant woman.
  4. Lobbied for the Heartbeat Bill to be added to HB 493 in the Senate and then it passed with constitutional majorities in both chambers before Governor Kasich used line-item veto power to strike the heartbeat provisions.
  5. Shaped legislation (HB 214) and companion bill (SB 164) for the general assembly regarding banning abortions on babies with Down Syndrome.  The stronger language we recommended was passed in both chambers and signed by Governor Kasich.
  6. SB 28 language was crafted to require humane treatment of the bodies of babies killed by abortion.  Worked with bull sponsor and leaders in the legislative process and now the bill is awaiting a vote in the full House of Representatives.
IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW
  1. GTRTL is working with pro-life members and groups in the state to introduce legislation that would ban all abortions in Ohio (HB 565).
  2. GTRTL ws. ​orked to craft language and support introduction of HB 619 which would add teaching on the development of the unborn child in 2-week increments to the state's health curriculum for schools.
  3. GTRTL is continuing to work on draft legislation that would add requirements to the state's abortion informed consent law which would provide current medically-accurate data regarding links between abortion and breast cancer as well as the prevalence of PTSD related symptoms.
 For details visit www.gtrtl.org.