Ohio governor signs bill requiring women to choose burial or cremation of aborted fetal tissue

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R ) signed a bill Wednesday that will require any aborted tissue to be either buried or cremated, leaving the decision to either the female patient or the clinic and penalizing whoever fails to decide.

The bill signed on Wednesday also states, “the pregnant woman is responsible for the costs related to the final disposition of the fetal remains at the chosen location.”

Those who are found to have failed to meet the requirements defined in the bill are subject to face, “a misdemeanor of the first degree.” If cremation is chosen as the form of disposal then the remains must either be placed in a “grave, crypt, or niche” or scattered in a “dignified manner.”

Laurel Powell of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio told local ABC-affiliate News 5 the law was not necessary.

“This is honestly just a familiar ploy by these lawmakers who use the chaos of the end of year session to try and pass these unpopular bills,” Powell told the news station. “Studies have repeatedly shown that the majority of Ohioans support access to safe and legal abortion care.”

Molly Smith with The Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio said in a statement, “Although we work for a day when no unborn child in Ohio is killed by abortion, we recognize that, at the very least, accounting for those precious bodies, and for their humane disposition is necessary.”

News 5 Cleveland reports that another abortion-related bill is waiting on DeWine’s desk to be signed. The bill, if signed, would ban doctors and women from using telemedicine when conducting a medical abortion. Doctors who violate this law would face criminal charges.