Ohio House Passes Two Major Pro-Life Bills: The Baby Olivia Act and the Patient Protection Act
Thank you House members!
Yesterday, in a marathon session, the Ohio House of Representatives advanced two significant pieces of pro-life legislation: House Bill 485 (HB485), the Baby Olivia Act, and House Bill 324 (HB324), the Patient Protection Act. Together, these bills strengthen education on human development and provide vital safeguards for mothers considering high-risk abortion drugs such as mifepristone.
Patient Protection Act (HB324)
Sponsored by Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) and Rep. Meredith Craig (R-Smithville), the Patient Protection Act was advanced by The Ohio House late yesterday.
The bill requires an in-person evaluation before any drug with at least a 5% chance of causing severe adverse effects—such as death, sepsis, organ failure, or hospitalization due to infection or hemorrhage—can be dispensed. The bill also mandates a follow-up appointment to ensure patients are responding safely and that early warning signs of complications are caught promptly.
Additionally, HB 324 directs the Director of Health, in consultation with relevant state boards, to maintain a public, regularly updated list of medications that meet this high-risk threshold, promoting transparency and accountability.
Cincinnati Right to Life expressed strong support for the measure, citing the growing dangers associated with unregulated mail-order drugs. “There is an urgent need for these protections. With many Ohio women seeking abortion drugs online without ever seeing a doctor, mothers and their babies face heightened danger and significant risks. We thank the Ohio House for moving this vital legislation forward quickly.” shared Laura Strietmann, Executive Director.
Rep. Mathews, who marches for life annually on Auburn Ave., shared, “The Hippocratic Oath is to ‘Do No Harm,’ and with the proliferation of mail order medication, some drugs are severely injuring over one in twenty patients. This legislation provides a proper standard of care and protects everyday Ohioans from unscrupulous actors taking advantage of Ohioans.”
A recent study reveals that mifepristone results in serious complications—including hemorrhaging, sepsis, and hospitalization—for nearly 1 in 9 mothers, a rate 22 times higher than what the FDA’s label suggests. HB324 ensures mothers receive the oversight and information necessary to safeguard their health.
Baby Olivia Act (HB485)
Sponsored by Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland), the Baby Olivia Act ensures that students across Ohio receive accurate, science-based education on human growth and development from grades 5–12. Schools will now be required to show:
- A high-definition ultrasound video of early fetal development
- An educational video illustrating each stage of a baby’s journey from fertilization to birth, such as Meet Baby Olivia
This legislation affirms the dignity of every preborn child and equips young people with truthful information about life in the womb. Similar legislation is gaining momentum nationwide.
Despite public support human development education, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio sharply condemned the House’s passage of H.B. 485. Their executive director claimed:
“H.B. 485 does nothing to address Ohio’s high teen birth rate and STI rates, and instead forces school children to watch false medical information about sex education that is inappropriate at any age or grade, especially for elementary students.”
Planned Parenthood’s opposition is of no surprise to pro-lifers; it simply exposes their discomfort with the truth that life begins at conception. They know that allowing students to see the undeniable, scientific reality of a child developing in her mother’s womb undermines the very narrative they rely on to justify executing hundreds of thousands of preborn children each year.
Both bills now move on to the Ohio Senate.