Ariz., Ind., Ohio, Texas, Wyo. State Lawmakers Push Antiabortion Legislation

February 11, 2011 — The following summarizes recent state action on antiabortion legislation.

~ Arizona: The Arizona Legislature this week approved a number of abortion-related bills. The state House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted 5-3 to approve legislation (HB 2443) that would make it illegal for providers to perform an abortion if the woman says she wants the procedure because of the fetus' sex or race, Capital Media Services/East Valley Tribune reports (Fischer, Capital Media Services/East Valley Tribune, 2/9). Under a measure (SB 1246) approved 4-1 on Wednesday by the Senate Committee on Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform, clinics providing only medication abortions would have to follow the same staffing and equipment requirements as clinics providing surgical abortions. The House health committee last week approved a similar bill (HB 2416), which would also require abortion providers to offer women seeking abortions an ultrasound image and the option to listen to the fetus' heartbeat (AP/Arizona Daily Sun, 2/10). Both SB 1246 and HB 2416 would prevent certified nurse practitioners from providing medication abortions, meaning that at least three clinics in the state would no longer be able to offer medication abortions. The Senate panel also approved a bill (SB 1265) that would end tax deductions for people making charitable donations to groups that provide abortion care or refer women to abortion care providers (Capital Media Services/East Valley Tribune, 2/9).

~ Indiana: The state Senate Committee on Health and Provider Services on Wednesday voted 7-2 to approve a bill (SB 328) that would require physicians performing abortions to inform women that life begins at conception and that fetuses might feel pain at or before 20 weeks gestation, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. The bill also would require women seeking abortions to be informed in writing that the procedure could cause infertility and increase the risk of breast cancer, though the medical evidence does not support those claims. Finally, the bill would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The vote sends the bill to the full Senate for consideration. Despite similar legislation failing in the past, supporters of the bill believe it has a better chance with Republican majorities in both the House and Senate (AP/Chicago Tribune, 2/9).

~ Ohio: State Republicans have introduced five bills in eight days that would limit access to abortion, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The most recent proposal is the so-called "heartbeat bill," which would ban abortion as soon as a fetus' heartbeat is detected, which is typically in the first trimester of pregnancy. Many abortion-rights advocates fear the state Legislature will pass the measure, but legal experts contend that it would not withstand a legal challenge. Other antiabortion legislation includes bills that would ban abortion at 20 weeks gestation (HB 78), prohibit health plans participating in the new health insurance exchanges from covering abortion (HB 79) and impose more restrictions for minors seeking abortion (HB 63, SB 8) (Fields, Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2/9).

~ Texas: The Texas Senate Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved a bill (SB 16) that would require providers to provide a woman seeking an abortion with a sonogram and a detailed description of the fetus, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports. Providers also would have to offer women the opportunity to see the sonogram and listen to the fetal heartbeat. The bill provides exceptions in the case of emergencies, sexual assault, incest, or fetal abnormalities (Tomlinson, AP/Houston Chronicle, 2/9).

~ Wyoming: The state House on Wednesday granted final approval to a bill (HB 251) that would require health care providers in the state to inform a woman seeking an abortion that she could view an ultrasound image of her fetus before undergoing an abortion, the AP/Washington Examiner reports (AP/Washington Examiner, 2/9). The measure is a revised version of a bill (HB 118) that the state House defeated on Jan. 25. Rep. Bob Brechtel (R), sponsor of both bills, said the modified measure omits the requirement that providers inform women that fetuses past a certain age can feel pain (Women's Health Policy Report, 2/8). The bill also would require women seeking an abortion to wait 24 hours before undergoing the procedure. Women seeking abortion care also would have to receive information about the availability of birth control and the health risks of pregnancy and childbirth. The measure now moves to the Senate (AP/Washington Examiner, 2/9).