TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 15, 2022

The Tennessee State House yesterday approved criminal penalties for anyone distributing abortion medication through telehealth or mail services, codifying the distribution as a Class E felony punishable by a fine up to $50,000. The bill, which now awaits a Senate vote, prohibits any dispensation of the abortion pill except prescribing done in person by a physician, the Tennessean reports. The bill comes in response to a decision by the federal Food and Drug Administration to remove in-person requirements on abortion medication due to access concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.