Illinois: Ignoring Women’s Health and Safety By Ignoring the Rule of Law

Illinois is once again at the forefront of abortion extremism with an outrageous bill moving through their state legislature. This new development shines a spotlight on why the Center for Client Safety is so critical in post-Roe America where the complete disregard for women’s health and safety continues to grow in many states.

On April 7, 2025, the Illinois House of Representatives passed House Bill 3637, a sweeping measure designed to protect access to abortion pills within the state, even if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deems them unsafe. The bill amends the Illinois Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, making FDA approval non-essential for a drug's legality in the state, so long as the drug is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

While the bill does not explicitly mention abortion, its intent was made clear during the debate of the bill. “We want to make sure when it comes to this particular issue, that FDA approval for medication abortion would not limit access to medication abortion in Illinois,” said Rep. Dagmara Avelar, one of the bill’s sponsors.

The amendment reads: “A drug’s status as not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shall not cause it to be deemed an adulterated drug in violation of the Act if it is recommended for use by the World Health Organization.”

This change effectively creates a safeguard for abortion pill access in Illinois, sidestepping federal oversight if necessary. It is also part of a broader trend in the state of prioritizing abortion access over traditional regulatory frameworks.

In addition to redefining drug approval standards, HB 3637 includes "shield law" provisions. These protect Illinois healthcare providers from disciplinary action for performing services that are legal in the state, even if those services violate the laws of other states.

The bill states that no disciplinary or non-disciplinary action may be taken against a provider “based solely on the person violating another state’s laws prohibiting involvement in any health care service if that healthcare service would not have been unlawful under the laws of the State.”

Though the primary focus is abortion, this could extend to other controversial services considered lawful in Illinois but restricted elsewhere.

Some voices of reason still exist in the Illinois legislature. Rep. Bill Hauter, a practicing physician, denounced the bill as “outrageous,” warning that it erodes essential safety mechanisms.

“We are saying that approval by the World Health Organization but active rejection because of safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would be able to be prescribed in Illinois,” said Hauter, “There has to be some safety mechanisms.”

Indeed, the safety of the abortion pill remains a contested issue. While advocates argue the drug is safe, multiple studies suggest otherwise. Side effects may include severe cramping, heavy bleeding, nausea, and complications requiring emergency care. One study found that the abortion pill carries a complication rate four times higher than first-trimester surgical abortion. In some cases, women are advised to conceal the abortion from ER staff, claiming a natural miscarriage instead, which can lead to misdiagnosis and underreporting of adverse effects.

Moreover, the increasingly common "no-test" abortion pill protocol—which foregoes ultrasound or blood tests—further heightens risk, as it fails to verify gestational age or detect ectopic pregnancies.

HB 3637 is not the first egregious piece of pro-abortion legislation in Illinois. Beginning with the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, Illinois has largely de-regulated abortion. Rather than making Illinois a “beacon of hope” for women (as Governor J.B. Pritzker has claimed), these laws have made it a wasteland where women’s health and safety are disregarded.

A disturbing lawsuit filed in March 2025 against a Champaign-based abortion provider has sparked renewed scrutiny over patient safety in Illinois’ expanding abortion industry. The suit, brought by a woman identified as Jane Doe, alleges severe medical negligence by Dr. Keith Reisinger-Kindle of the Equity Clinic following a botched abortion procedure in April 2023. The Center for Client Safety has been heavily involved in this case.

According to court documents filed in the Circuit Court of Champaign County, Dr. Reisinger-Kindle is accused of leaving portions of the plaintiff’s unborn baby in her body after performing a second-trimester abortion. The woman, a mother of four who was approximately 22 weeks pregnant, had visited the clinic on April 1 and 2, 2023. After the procedure, she was reportedly told that her uterus had been examined and all fetal tissue had been successfully removed.

However, Jane Doe began experiencing severe cramping the next day and contacted the clinic to report her symptoms. Instead of being advised to return for a follow-up exam, she was told to take Tylenol, ibuprofen, and laxatives. When the symptoms worsened, she was advised on April 4 to try an enema or go to the emergency room. That same day, she checked into Community Hospital South Emergency Room in Indianapolis—where doctors discovered that parts of her baby were still inside her.

Emergency surgery was performed to remove the remains of her preborn child (including the head), some of which had adhered to her intestines. A gynecologist’s medical report included in the lawsuit claims that Dr. Reisinger-Kindle had perforated the woman’s uterus during the abortion, leaving a hole roughly the size of a quarter or half-dollar. The report further states that the doctor failed to recognize this serious complication and did not properly inspect the fetal remains to ensure the procedure was complete.

Medical experts involved in the case concluded that Reisinger-Kindle “deviated from a reasonable standard of care” by both causing the uterine perforation and failing to recognize or address it afterward. They argue that a proper examination of the fetal remains would have made it “obvious” that parts of the baby were left behind.

The case, along with HB 3637 protecting abortion pills, shines a spotlight on abortion advocates’ complete disregard for women’s health and safety. The Center for Client Safety exists to protect women and their preborn children in abortion havens like Illinois across America.

In addition to helping bring justice for Jane Doe who was injured so egregiously at an Illinois abortion facility, we will be diving into the heart of the abortion pill industry. While Illinois may not regulate abortion, they regulate everything else, and abortion providers are not above every regulation.

At the Center for Client Safety, protecting women and children everywhere they are endangered by abortion providers is the heart of our mission. We will not stop until they are all protected.