Law requires abortion clinics to have transfer agreement with local hospital, ambulance service
Attorney General Daniel Cameron today announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit unanimously ruled that he can intervene in the ongoing legal challenge, brought by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, to Kentucky’s transfer-agreement statute.
Kentucky’s transfer-agreement law was passed in 1998 by the General Assembly and requires that abortion clinics have a transfer agreement with a hospital as a well as an agreement with a local ambulance provider. Such an agreement ensures that abortion clinics can transfer patients to local hospitals in the safest and fastest way possible in the event of a medical emergency or complication.
“The Sixth Circuit’s ruling is an important recognition of the role our office plays in defending the Commonwealth’s laws,” said Attorney General Cameron. “I am proud to stand in support of this longstanding law, which ensures the health and safety of patients. While the merits of this case have already been argued, it’s important that our office is in a position to continue defending the law.”
In a 26-page filing, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood opposed the Attorney General’s motion to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of the Commonwealth. The decision by the Sixth Circuit recognizes the essential role that the Attorney General plays in defending Kentucky’s laws.
A federal district court in Louisville invalidated the transfer agreement statute in 2018, after a three-day trial. The case was appealed to the Sixth Circuit, where it was argued in August 2019. The appeal remains pending before the Sixth Circuit, and a decision on the merits is expected in the near future.