The Georgia House Bill 481 was an American law passed in 2019 that sought to prevent physicians in the U.S. state of Georgia from performing abortions beyond six weeks, except in special situations. The bill was strongly criticized by supporters of pro-choice policies, but it was praised by many supporters of pro-life policies. Notably, many celebrities in Hollywood threatened to boycott the state of Georgia if it were passed. Passed in 2019, it was initially ruled unconstitutional in July 2020. That ruling was reversed, however, in July 2022.
The Georgia HB481 is a six-week abortion ban; except in certain situations, physicians practicing medicine in the state of Georgia would be prohibited from offering abortion services to pregnant women if a so-called "fetal heartbeat" is present, which typically occurs in the 6th week of pregnancy. Exceptions are provided for women whose pregnancies are considered futile (e.g. anencephaly) or medical emergency and women pregnant by rapeorincest but only if they are less than 20 weeks pregnant and only if they have filed a police report.[1]
Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia voiced his support for the bill, calling it "common sense".[7] Georgia state senator Jen Jordan opposed it, objecting to the wording of the legislation: a woman would have only 1 to 2 weeks to realize she had missed a menstrual period and schedule an abortion, in order to stay within the time frame allotted by the bill.[8] Kemp signed the bill on May 7, 2019.[9]
More than fifty high profile individuals in the U.S. entertainment industry, ranging from actors to screenwriters to directors, issued an official statement threatening to boycott the state of Georgia if the bill is passed.[10][11][12] Additionally, Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East issued a joint statement saying their members would also boycott the state.[13] Such a boycott could have had a devastating effect on Georgia's economy, as the state, especially the capital city of Atlanta, serves as the filming location for many high budget films and television shows, including The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, and Cobra Kai. In 2018, it was estimated that film and television productions contributed US$9.5 billion to Georgia's economy.[14][unreliable source?]
In July 2020, the bill was ruled unconstitutional by Judge Jones.[16] The state appealed to the Eleventh Circuit. With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in December 2021, a case involving Mississippi's abortion law that banned abortions after 15 weeks and asking questions related to the general provisions set by Roe v. Wade, the Eleventh Circuit put a stay on review of the Georgia case until after the Supreme Court decided Dobbs.[17] Following the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe, the Eleventh Circuit lifted the stay and permitted the law to enter into force.[18]
The ACLU, SisterSong, Planned Parenthood and other groups sued the state in July 2022 following the federal case's conclusion. The parties sought an injunction against enforcement of the ban under the Constitution of Georgia. The case was filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County and will be heard by Judge Robert McBurney.[19]
