Georgia bill would ban abortion pills by mail, require exams

Republicans in Georgia have introduced a bill prohibiting the delivery of abortion pills by mail

ATLANTA -- Republicans in Georgia have introduced a bill that bans the delivery of abortion pills by mail. It would require anyone who wants to use abortion pills to visit a doctor in advance and then return to pick up the pills.

The lawmakers also want to require women to undergo physical exams including ultrasounds, and then sign an extensive consent form at least 24 hours before doctors provide the pills.

Senate Bill 351, introduced Tuesday by Republican Sen. Bruce Thompson of White and cosponsored by 23 other GOP senators, responds to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's December decision that changed a federal rule that had required women to pick up the medication in person. The federal government had already set aside the rule temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thompson, who's running statewide for labor commissioner, said he thinks it's too risky for physicians to dispense the pills without an in-person exam.