HB1011

House Bill 1011, titled the 'Restore Roe Act', seeks to establish legal access to abortion services in Arkansas up to the point of fetal viability, aligning with the framework established by the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. The bill explicitly states the legislative intent to permit abortion services with limited exceptions for the life or health of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest involving a minor, following fetal viability. To achieve this, the bill proposes the repeal of existing Arkansas statutes that currently prohibit and criminalize abortion, specifically the 'Arkansas Human Life Protection Act' and the 'Arkansas Unborn Child Protection Act'. The text serves to replace current, more restrictive abortion regulations with a system based on the trimester-based viability standard. It explicitly declares the state's policy to protect a woman's right to obtain such services under constitutional guidelines. By repealing existing restrictive codes, the bill intends to remove current criminal penalties associated with abortion providers in the state.