Kentucky has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, but state lawmakers still want to crack down on abortion inducing pills, which can be ordered and mailed in from out of state.

As our Emily Sisk reports, Republican lawmakers say they want to punish the suppliers, not pregnant women.

Kentucky's law is clear abortion is illegal, and euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal.

State representative Nancy Tate, a Republican from Brandenburg, speaking today on House Bill 646, which looks to crack down on abortion inducing, life ending drugs.

This comes after the General Assembly passed a bill last year which clarified the state's near-total abortion ban, and spelled out which types of medical procedures are not considered an abortion.

Still, Tate said there is a need for further restriction.

This bill is not about ideology, it's about protection and enforceability.

HB 646 expands Kentucky's trafficking laws to include the illegal distribution of the abortion inducing drugs, making it a class D felony for the first offense.

The bill also requires health care providers to inform patients of potential complications from the drug, and any patients who experience complications may sue the manufacturer or distributor.

A 2023 study by the Society of Family Planning, a group that supports abortion rights, found that about 8000 women a month received the drug.

Even in states that strongly restricted or banned abortion.

Representative TJ Roberts, the primary co-sponsor of HB 646, said the bill was meant to crack down on suppliers from beyond state lines.

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

We know it's happening in Kentucky.

We know there are out-of-state entities that are trafficking these pills into our commonwealth, notwithstanding our laws.

Representative Tate clarified this bill would not punish pregnant women who take the abortion inducing drug.

She said there are medical exceptions where the pill can be necessary and beneficial.

One of them actually has a legal and a lawful purpose, and that's whenever a lady has a miscarriage and that it helps to remove the baby from the womb.

Some other conservative pro-life groups joined in for the press conference, citing the medical harm women can experience from these drugs.

Something like 11% of cases of women who take the abortion death pill have reported serious medical complications, much higher than even a surgical abortion.

Along with penalties for abortion inducing drugs, the bill also creates a new offense for medically assisted aid in dying.

Classifying that as a class B felony.

HB 646 was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, where it awaits a hearing for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Emily Sisk.

Thank you.

Emily.

The conservative groups touted other legislation as well, including a bill to restrict children under the age of 15 from accessing social media.

And another measure to put the Ten Commandments back in public schools.