The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) reached a settlement Tuesday with Thomas More Society in a lawsuit filed last year about the release of abortion records in the state. As a result of the settlement, IDOH has agreed to release the records.
In May 2024, after the state refused to release this annual abortion data, a pro-life organization called Voices for Life sued. Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act requires annual state reporting on abortions.
Represented by the Thomas More Society, Voices for Life stated it has been viewing the state’s annual abortion records — which contain no personal or identifying information — as a way to ensure that all laws and regulations surrounding abortion are consistently followed. Since 2022, the group had found nearly 700 instances of probable abortion violations by analyzing the records, subsequently filing complaints with the state health department and the attorney general’s office over suspected violations. Attorney General Todd Rokita signaled his support for Voices for Life by issuing an advisory opinion stating that the records should be released.
IDOH had refused to release the reports over confidentiality concerns; after the state’s law prohibiting most abortions went into effect, abortion supporters were concerned that women who did have abortions would be easier to identify through the records. As part of the settlement agreement, the state will release fewer identifying details about the patient, such as race and ethnicity, but will continue to detail the abortion procedures themselves.
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“The public release of these reports is a victory for vulnerable women and children in Indiana,” said Melanie Garcia Lyon, Executive Director of Voices for Life. “Access to these reports will help ensure abortionists are held accountable for violating health and safety regulations.”
Last week, Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed an executive order directing the IDOH to “enforce the law” and resume releasing abortion reports. That order was separate from the lawsuit.
“We are grateful to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office for recognizing that individual Termination of Pregnancy Reports are public records that must be released. TPRs are essential to ensuring Indiana’s abortion laws are properly enforced,” stated Thomas More Society Executive Vice President Thomas Olp. “By reviewing the state’s abortion records, Voices for Life tirelessly protects the safety and well-being of Indiana women and children. This settlement agreement will allow Voices for Life to continue effectively performing its important public service as a watchdog over the state’s abortion industry.”
