New abortion law takes effect in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 7 (UPI) -- A law that took effect in Ohio Tuesday requires abortion clinics to post signs on patients' rights and allows limited access to clinic records.

The law also includes a mandatory jail term of up to a year for assaulting a pregnant woman, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

A lawsuit brought by the parents of a girl who had an abortion at Planned Parenthood in 2004 when she was 14 helped inspire the law and could be affected by it. The girl had been impregnated by her soccer coach, who was seven years her senior.

The Ohio state Supreme Court has asked lawyers for both the parents and Planned Parenthood to submit briefs on how the new law affects their arguments. The parents are seeking access to Planned Parenthood records for the past 10 years, saying they expect to find that the organization has a history of failing to report sexual abuse of underage girls.

The law allows limited access to clinic records for civil litigation. Lawyers for the parents say that it applies retroactively.