NASHVILLE (AP) - A letter to lawmakers from Gov. Bill Haslam says the state Health Department is now requiring physicians who perform abortions to document how the fetal tissue is disposed of.
The change comes after lawmakers in August said they wanted the department to have more authority to track fetal tissue. The hearing was in response to hidden-camera videos that raised the question of whether Planned Parenthood officials in other states were profiting from the sale of fetal tissue. Planned Parenthood has said it did nothing illegal.
The sale of fetal tissue already was illegal in Tennessee, but lawmakers were concerned that sales could be happening anyway.
Haslam's letter says the Health Department also has made it easier for the public to file a complaint against a surgery center.