COLUMBUS, Ohio — The constitutional amendment Ohio voters approved with Issue 1 will take effect Thursday. The amendment protects certain reproductive rights, including abortion.

What You Need To Know

  • The Ohio Constitutional amendment approved by voters with the passage of Issue 1 goes into effect Thurs. Dec. 7

  • The Ohio Supreme Court ordered both parties in the case regarding the state's Heartbeat Law to submit briefs on how the passage of Issue 1 impacts the case

  • The amendment does not immediately nullify other existing laws restricting abortion access, each would have to be challenged in court or nullified by the legislature

Article 1, Section 22 doesn’t trump any abortion regulations set at the federal level, nor does it automatically repeal existing laws in Ohio.

If passed, House Bill 343, proposed by democratic state representatives, would immediately nullify some laws supporters say are no longer constitutional based on the passage of Issue 1. It’s currently with the Public Health Policy Committee, but legal experts say they don’t expect it to pass because of the anti-abortion majority in the state legislature.

That means the constitutionality of each law restricting abortion access in the state would need to be challenged individually.

The Ohio Supreme Court is currently considering a case regarding the state’s Heartbeat Law, which bans an abortion six weeks after conception. Justices ordered both sides of the case to submit briefs explaining how the passage of Issue 1 now affects the case. Those briefs are due Thursday, the same day the amendment goes into effect.

Currently, Ohioans can legally receive an abortion at up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.