Legislators Pass Bill Requiring Women Call Resource Hotline Before an Abortion

A bill that requires the Arkansas Department of Health to set up a hotline program for women seeking an abortion by 2023 passed both the Arkansas House and Senate last week. The Every Mom Matters Act, or EMMA, will require women to call a hotline that will be staffed with care agents contracted out by ADH, who will provide information about resources, both public and private, that the bill's sponsors say may lead to fewer abortions.