Ohio House Bill 347 cleared the Republican-controlled House along party lines in March 2026. If it passes the Senate, it would require physicians to meet with patients in person 24 hours before performing an abortion, a requirement that exists for no other medical procedure in Ohio.
The Ohio Senate Health Committee held what may be its last scheduled hearing on the bill on June 12, 2026, before legislators leave for a break that could extend past the November election. The committee did not vote to advance the bill before the break, but heard public testimony.
Ohio Physicians Say Standard of Care Already Requires Informed Consent
Ohio doctors who testified against the bill said the legislature is trying to fix a problem that does not exist in medical practice. Dr. Annalise Celano, a family medicine resident physician, told the committee that informed consent is already a “critical, and heavily mandated, piece of all medical care,” covering benefits, risks, and alternatives for every procedure.
“H.B. 347 would be legally forcing me to coerce my patients into doing what state law mandates.”
Dr. Annalise Celano, family medicine resident physician, Ohio Senate Health Committee hearing, June 12, 2026
Dr. Elise Berlan, who treats pediatric and adolescent patients in Ohio, put the discrimination argument plainly. She told the committee that applying a waiting period only to abortion providers, without a parallel requirement for any other procedure, “is patronizing to people seeking abortion that they would need extra rules and time to decide.” No similar mandate applies to any other category of surgical or medical care in Ohio.
The Bill Also Requires Physicians to Share Debunked Information
H.B. 347 would require physicians to provide state-mandated information during that 24-hour consultation, including material about abortion “reversal.” Both Berlan and Celano testified that abortion reversal protocols have been debunked in multiple peer-reviewed medical studies. Compelling physicians to present discredited information conflicts with their professional obligations.
A 2023 Constitutional Amendment Creates a Legal Obstacle
Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment in November 2023 establishing the right to abortion and other reproductive healthcare. A Franklin County judge, David C. Young, subsequently paused enforcement of a pre-existing 24-hour waiting period law, citing that amendment in his ruling.
H.B. 347 would attempt to enshrine a substantially similar requirement in statute, setting up another legal fight.
Abortion rights advocates who testified warned the practical burden falls hardest on patients who must travel for care, take time off work, or arrange childcare for two separate appointments instead of one.
What You Can Do Now About Ohio H.B. 347
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Call your Ohio state senator and tell them to oppose H.B. 347. Find your senator’s direct contact at legislature.ohio.gov/legislators/senate-directory. Say: “I oppose H.B. 347. The 24-hour waiting period conflicts with Ohio’s constitutional amendment on reproductive rights and forces physicians to delay medically sound care.”
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Contact the Ohio Senate Health Committee directly before the legislature returns from break. Call the Ohio Senate switchboard at (614) 466-4900 and ask to leave a message for the Health Committee opposing H.B. 347. The committee chair controls whether the bill gets a vote after recess.
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Submit written public testimony to the Ohio Senate. Written testimony is accepted by Ohio Senate committees. Navigate to ohiosenate.gov, find the Health Committee page, and submit comments referencing H.B. 347 by name. Written testimony from constituents becomes part of the official legislative record.
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Monitor the Senate calendar to testify in person when the legislature reconvenes. In-person constituent testimony has direct weight before committee votes. Track hearing dates at ohiosenate.gov and register through the committee’s public witness sign-up process.
Sources
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Ohio doctors push back against 24-hour abortion waiting period proposal — Ohio Capital Journal (2026-06-12)
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Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio Doctors Oppose 24-Hour Abortion Waiting Period Proposal
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Ballotpedia: Ohio Issue 1, 2023 Reproductive Rights Constitutional Amendment
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ACLU of Ohio: Reproductive Rights Litigation and Legislative Tracker
[Callout: Ohio Senate Health Committee did not vote before legislative break. H.B. 347 fate deferred potentially until after November 2026 election.
Ohio Capital Journal]