Even though many legislative sessions only just convened across the country this month, efforts to restrict access to abortion pills are in full swing, particularly in states that already ban abortion.  Nearly 200 anti-abortion bills have been introduced in 29 states, according to an estimate by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization.  “In 2026, medication abortion remains one of the central battlegrounds in the fight over reproductive autonomy, with policymakers in several states pushing bills that would criminalize patients, restrict telehealth and mailing, and even misclassify abortion pills as controlled substances or environmental hazards,” Kimya Forouzan, Guttmacher’s principal policy adviser for state issues, said in a statement.  Some measures targeting abortion medication, including proposals in Arizona and Missouri, have not moved past introduction or beyond referral to initial committees. But lawmakers in Republican strongholds like Indiana and South Carolina have advanced bills that would allow residents to sue providers and manufacturers of mifepristone and misoprostol, key abortion drugs, for sending abortion pills into the state.  Those efforts echo laws passed in Texas and Louisiana that come with $100,000 payouts if plaintiffs are successful in court. Leaders in states that ban abortions have been clear that the intent behind these measures is to thwart the availability of abortion drugs, States Newsroom reported.  Our reproductive rights reporting team will be tracking abortion-related bills through biweekly roundups as sessions continue this winter and into the spring. Depending on the partisan makeup of a state’s legislature and other state government officials, some bills have a higher chance of passing and becoming law than others. Efforts to restrict abortion pills in GOP-led states  Indiana   Senate Bill 236: The proposal would allow Indiana residents to sue anyone — providers, manufacturers and distributors — involved in sending abortion medication into the state and let plaintiffs collect at least $100,000 if a claim proves successful in court. If a claimant cannot identify the manufacturer of the abortion drug, that person can sue all abortion drugmakers by pursuing wrongful death or injury claims for fetuses and pregnant people, Indiana Capital Chronicle reported.  The law would carry a 20-year statute of limitations. Women who took abortion pills and mail carriers could not be sued, and the use of the medication in other scenarios, such as miscarriage, would be permitted under the law. The bill also empowers the state’s attorney general to pursue litigation for violating the legislation.  Other abortion-related provisions in the bill include legally redefining abortion — treatment for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies would no longer be considered abortion procedures. The measure would require providers to submit to the state health department information about the age, race, sex and location of patients who sought care after abortions. The main sponsor of the bill tweaked language that would have originally made that information publicly available, Capital Chronicle reported.  Status: Approved by the Senate on Tuesday and referred to the House on Thursday  Sponsor: Republican Sen. Tyler Johnson  South Carolina  House Bill 4760: This bill would classify mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances, making them legal only by prescription. People who violate the law could face up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine or both, SC Daily Gazette reported. Pregnant women would be exempted from prosecution.  The legislation would also allow prospective parents and other relatives to sue manufacturers, providers and distributors of abortion pills if use of the drug causes harm to the mother or fetus. Relatives have three years to bring that claim, but a specific payout isn’t mentioned.   Sponsor: Republican Rep. Weston Newton  Status: In House Judiciary Committee  Fetal personhood proposal clears Florida House   House Bill 289/Senate Bill 164: The legislation would allow prospective parents to sue providers for the wrongful death of fetuses, embryos and fertilized eggs, Florida Phoenix reported. Would-be parents could seek monetary damages for emotional distress and the fetuses’ potential salary if they had been born.  Sponsors: Rep. Sam Greco and Sen. Erin Grall, Republicans  Status: House approved on Jan. 15, in the Senate Rules committee    Bills requiring students to watch fetal development videos advance   Florida House Bill 1071: An education bill that bans schools from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives would also require students to learn about “human embryological and fetal development,” Florida Phoenix reported. Children in grades six through 12 would view a video about the development of fetal organs and another video about conception and human development.  Sponsor: Republican Rep. Dana Trabulsy Status: Advanced in the House PreK-12 Budget Subcommittee on Thursday, in the chamber’s Education and Employment Committee  Wisconsin  Senate Bill 371: The measure would require school districts to screen videos about human growth and development, particularly the fertilization process, Wisconsin Examiner reported. The bill is backed by the state’s major anti-abortion groups, including Wisconsin Catholic Conference, Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Right to Life.  Sponsor: Republican Sen. Mary Felzkowski Status: The Senate approved the bill on Jan. 21, and the Assembly concurred on Jan. 22; on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ desk  This story was originally produced by News From The States, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Kentucky Lantern, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The post Bills cracking down on abortion pills advance in states that already ban most abortions appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less