Executive Order Directs IDOH to Share Individual Terminated Pregnancy Reports

The Faithful Execution of Pro-Life Laws order is aimed at ensuring compliance with state pro-life laws,

INDIANAPOLIS - Supporters and oppositions are speaking out about an executive order enacted by new Indiana Governor Mike Braun. 

On Wednesday, Governor Braun signed a collection of executive orders aimed at investing in a healthier Indiana. 

Among the executive orders was one entitled "Faithful Execution of Pro-Life Laws." The order directs the Indiana Department of Health to ensure compliance with state pro-life laws, including reporting on terminated pregnancies, to make certain state laws are followed and enforced. 

Indiana was the first state to enact such legislation after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Indiana’s abortion ban allows the procedures in limited circumstances: if there is a fatal fetal anomaly, if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, and if the pregnancy risks the mother’s health or her life.

Braun's order provides a health care provider must submit a TPR to the Indiana Department of Health each time a health care provider performs an abortion, and outlines the purpose and function of TPRs. The purpose is the improvement of maternal health and life through the compilation of relevant maternal life and health factors and data; and to monitor all abortions performed in Indiana to assure the abortions are done only under authorized provisions of the law. 

The full executive order can be viewed below. 

Indiana Right to Life President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Fichter issued the following statement today regarding the order:

“Governor Braun’s action today ensures Indiana’s abortion law will be enforced under his administration. In directing the Indiana Department of Health to ensure compliance with pro-life laws, including reporting laws, abortion providers are on notice that there is no tolerance in Indiana for illegal abortions, or acts leading to the injury or deaths of women. We are thankful for Governor Braun’s swift and decisive move in support of Indiana’s law that has ended 98% of abortions in our state."

The Indiana Democratic Party sounded off in opposition of the order.

“On the 52nd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, Governor Mike Braun has further restricted the medical privacy of Hoosier women and families by ordering the release of individual terminated pregnancy reports. These reports can give away identifying information about the women who received care under the very narrow exceptions to Indiana’s abortion ban, including those suffering life-threatening complications and victims of rape and incest. These are the same reports that Indiana’s public access counselor said should not be released because of the ability to ‘reverse engineer’ the identifying information of individual Hoosiers.

Hoosier women facing these unthinkable circumstances shouldn’t need to worry about the government leaking their personal medical information to political activists. Every Hoosier should be able to make decisions about their body and health with their doctor and without government interference.”

A full list of Governor Braun's executive orders can be found at https://www.in.gov/gov/newsroom/executive-orders/