Iowa

In Iowa, where abortion remains legal until 22 weeks after a woman’s last menstrual period, some policymakers sought this session to make it a felony for anyone, including physicians, to distribute abortion pills. Specifically, proposed legislation would make it a felony with punishment of up to a decade in jail for distributing abortion pills (with a carve out protecting patients who take the pills). This and other abortion-related measures failed in this year’s session, where GOP leaders announced a plan to wait for the outcome of a case before the Iowa Supreme Court that could clear the way for a six-week abortion ban in the state.