Heartbeat bill
A heartbeat bill or fetal heartbeat bill is a controversial form of abortion restriction legislation[1] in the United States which makes abortions illegal as soon as the embryonic or fetal heartbeat can be detected.[2][3]
In 2013, North Dakota became the first state to pass a heartbeat law. In 2015, the law was ruled unconstitutional under the precedent set by the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. Several states proposed heartbeat bills in 2018 and 2019; in 2019, such bills passed in Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, and Missouri. Heartbeat laws in Iowa, Kentucky and Mississippi were invalidated by courts.[4] According to CNN, heartbeat bills "may be unenforceable [under Roe]. But abortion opponents are hoping that [legal challenges] will serve as a vehicle for the Supreme Court to eventually overturn the Roe ruling."[5]
A fetal heartbeat can be detected at about six to seven weeks of pregnancy,[nb 1] but may not be detectable until 12 weeks' gestation when a Doppler fetal monitor is used.[8] Many women who are pregnant remain unaware of their pregnancies at six weeks from their last period.[9][10] Most women who have an abortion do so after six weeks' gestation.[11] Abortion-rights activists contend that because of this, the fetal heartbeat bills are de facto bans on abortion in the majority of cases.[12][13]
Controversy
Controversy exists surrounding fetal heartbeat laws in part because there is debate on the point at which a conceptus's heartbeat can be detected. In 2013, when the Wyoming House of Representatives considered a heartbeat bill, Norine Kasperik "noted that...she heard different answers [as] to when a heartbeat is detectable. To her, there seemed to be variation by medical equipment used." Similarly, Mary Throne inquired, "Is this abortion illegal at 22 days with a highly invasive ultrasound or is it illegal at 9 weeks when we hear a heartbeat with a stethoscope?"[14] Other critics of the bills have claimed that they ignore that not all conceptuses' heartbeats become detectable at the same time, even when measured using the same methods.[15]
The Center for Reproductive Rights has stated that there is some inconsistency with regard to these laws; specifically, the Arkansas law requires providers to use an abdominal ultrasound to attempt to detect a fetal heartbeat, while the North Dakota law allows the use of any available technology (including a transvaginal probe, which makes it possible to detect a fetal heartbeat earlier than an abdominal ultrasound can).[16] With specific regard to the North Dakota law, detecting a conceptus' heartbeat at six weeks into a pregnancy requires the use of a transvaginal ultrasound, which some members of the abortion-rights movement say is unnecessarily invasive.[17]
The leading activist for the passage of heartbeat legislation, and the author of the original 2011 Ohio House Bill 493,[18] was anti-abortion activist Janet Porter. Porter is the founder of conservative Christian ministry Faith2Action,[19] which, in 2018, was designated as an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[20][21]
Constitutionality
Critics of fetal heartbeat bills say that, since Roe v. Wade established that states must allow abortion until the point of viability (between 24 and 28 weeks into the pregnancy), that such bills "blatantly contradict" Supreme Court precedent. The 2013 North Dakota heartbeat law was ruled in District Court to be "clearly invalid and unconstitutional based on the United States Supreme Court precedent in Roe v. Wade."[22]
Proponents of fetal heartbeat laws contend that the constitutional precedent of Roe v. Wade should be re-examined in light of advancements in law and science. Ohio governor Mike DeWine argued that the main purposes of the bills are to "protect the most vulnerable among us, those who don't have a voice" and that the "government's role should be to protect life from the beginning to the end."[23]
Accuracy of terms
Some critics challenge the wording in the bills as misleading and inaccurate,[21] stating it is not accurate to term the activity of the embryonic tubular heart a "fetal heartbeat", as at that stage the conceptus is still only an embryo. Medically, the term "embryonic" is used up to around eight weeks after fertilization, and "fetal" from the beginning of the ninth week.[24] Jennifer Keats, an ob-gyn at University of California, San Francisco, stated that the fetus' cardiovascular system at six weeks is "very immature". Keats described the cardiac activity as "a group of cells with electrical activity. That’s what the heartbeat is at that stage of gestation … We are in no way talking about any kind of cardiovascular system."[25]
In the medical literature the terms "heartbeat", "heart activity" and "cardiac activity" are all used during embryonic development.[26][27][28]
"Informed consent" laws
A related though distinct type of law is that introduced at the state level in all 50 states in the US in October 2011, which would require any woman seeking an abortion to see and hear their conceptus's heartbeat. Supporters included the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Americans United for Life, and the Susan B. Anthony List.[29] Another such bill was introduced in Texas. A similar type of legislation, the "Heartbeat Informed Consent Act", was introduced at the national level around the same time by Michele Bachmann, however, it died in committee.[30] Another law of this variety, introduced by Sharon Weston Broome, was passed by legislators in Louisiana in 2012, as an amendment to a 2010 bill requiring women seeking an abortion to receive an ultrasound of their conceptus.[31] Similar laws have been passed in states such as Georgia in 2005;[32] and a law that mandated both an ultrasound of the fetus and listening to its heartbeat before an abortion could be procured was laid on the table in 2012 in Pennsylvania.[33] This last bill became controversial when Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania's governor, stated that "You just have to close your eyes" and dismissed accusations that the bill would be unnecessarily obtrusive.[34] Furthermore, while the anti-abortion movement claims that bills mandating a woman listen to her conceptus' heartbeat would increase the likelihood of them changing their mind, the abortion-rights community, with the support of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, opposes "informed-consent" bills because they threaten to, if passed, "significantly jeopardize the open dialogue within the physician-patient relationship."[35]
"Informed consent" laws requiring women seeking abortions to have the physician play a recording of her conceptus' heartbeat have met with challenges in court, notably in Texas, when the CRR filed a lawsuit against it, leading to a court case entitled Texas Medical Providers Performing Abortion Services v. Lakey. Prior to Sam Sparks condemning the law in January 2012, however, a federal district court had ruled that the law violated the First Amendment in August 2011. This decision was reversed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, led by Edith Jones. Another similar law was challenged in North Carolina in Stuart v. Huff, in which a federal district court ruled that the law was in violation of the First Amendment. This case, unlike the one in Texas, has not yet been appealed.[36] This has led to some debate among different anti-abortion groups regarding strategy; specifically, while some of these groups, like the Kansas Coalition for Life, have supported the passing of this legislation, others, like Kansans for Life, are concerned that "enacting a fetal heartbeat ban would prompt a court ruling undoing some limits on abortion and providers."[37] Likewise, Paul Linton, former general counselor for AUL, has argued that fetal heartbeat laws "have no chance in the courts." He, like most mainstream anti-abortion advocates (including James Bopp), prefers instead a legislative strategy that chips away at Roe v. Wade.[16]
Legal challenges
Arkansas lawsuit
On May 27, 2015, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling and permanently blocked the law from being enforced.[38] In January 2016, The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving the Eighth Circuit's ruling in place.[39]
Iowa lawsuit
On May 15, 2018, eleven days after Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed SF 359 into law, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Inc., Jill Meadows, M.D., and Emma Goldman Clinic (petitioners) filed a lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief in state court arguing the fetal heartbeat law violated the Iowa State Constitution.[40][41][42] On June 1, 2018, Polk County District Court Judge Michael Huppert entered a preliminary injunction which temporarily blocked the law from going into effect.[43] On January 22, 2019, the county district judge declared the law to be in violation of the Iowa Constitution and entered a permanent injunction prohibiting its enforcement.[44] In holding the law unconstitutional the judge cited the Iowa Supreme Court's 2018 ruling in a challenge to a different abortion-restriction in which the state's court of last resort held that "a woman's right to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy is a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution."[45] Anti-abortion proponents have said they hope this litigation creates a pathway for Roe v. Wade to be reexamined by the U.S. Supreme Court, but University of Iowa law professor Paul Gowder and other legal experts have said that it is almost impossible that it could end up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, as the U.S. Supreme Court does not review Supreme Court decisions concerning state constitutional questions.[46]
In response to Judge Michael Huppert's ruling that Iowa's heartbeat abortion ban violates the state Constitution, anti-abortion legislators have filed legislation to amend the state constitution to state “that the Constitution of the State of Iowa does not secure or protect a right to or require the funding of abortion.”[47] The resolutions proposing to amend Iowa's constitution are SJR 9 and HJR 5 which were filed on January 24, 2019 and February 6, 2019, respectively.[48][49]
North Dakota lawsuit
In July 2015, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court decision blocking HB 1456 from going into effect.[50] The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case and the law remains permanently blocked.[51]
Kentucky lawsuit
Kentucky already has three lawsuits over abortion restrictions.[52]
States
Legislative history
State | Session | Bill | Lower house | Upper house | Executive | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 2014 | HB 490 | Passed 73–29 | Died in committee | — | Failed |
2019 | HB 314 | Passed 74–3 | Passed 25–7 | Signed | Temporarily blocked by federal court[53] | |
Arkansas | 2013 | SB 134 | Passed 68–20 | Passed 26–8 | Vetoed | Struck down by federal court[54] |
Overrode 56–33 | Overrode 20–14 | Overridden | ||||
Florida | 2019 | HB 235 | Died in committee | — | — | — |
SB 792 | — | Died in committee | — | — | ||
Georgia | 2019 | HB 481 | Passed 92–78 | Passed 34–18 | Signed | Struck down by federal court[55] |
Iowa | 2018 | SF 359 | Passed 51–46 | Passed 29–17 | Signed | Struck down by state court[56] |
Kentucky | 2019 | SB 9 | Passed 71–19 | Passed 31–6 | Signed | Temporarily blocked by federal court[57] |
Louisiana | 2019 | SB 184 | Passed 79–23 | Passed 31–5 | Signed | Effective if Mississippi law (currently blocked) is upheld by federal court[58] |
Maryland | 2019 | HB 933 | Introduced | — | — | — |
HB 978 | Introduced | — | — | — | ||
Minnesota | 2019 | HF 271 | Introduced | — | — | — |
Mississippi | 2019 | SB 2116 | Passed 78–37 | Passed 34–14 | Signed | Temporarily blocked by federal court[59] |
Missouri | 2019 | HB 126 | Passed 117–39 | Passed 24–10 | Signed | Temporary blocked by federal court[60] |
North Dakota | 2013 | HB 1456 | Passed 63–28 | Passed 26–17 | Signed | Struck down by federal court[61] |
Ohio | 2016 | HB 493 | Passed 56–39 | Passed 21–10 | Vetoed | Failed |
2018 | HB 258 | Passed 58–35 | Passed 18–13 | Vetoed | Failed | |
Overrode 61–28 | Failed to override | |||||
2019 | SB 23 | Passed 56–40 | Passed 19–13 | Signed | Temporarily blocked by federal court[62] | |
Pennsylvania | 2018 | HB 2315 | Died in committee | — | — | — |
South Carolina | 2019–20 | HB 3020 | Passed 64–22 | — | Intention to sign[63] | — |
Tennessee | 2019 | HB 77 | Passed 65–21 | Indefinitely postponed | — | — |
Texas | 2019 | HB 1500 | Introduced | — | — | — |
West Virginia | 2019 | HB 2903 | Introduced | — | — | — |
HB 2915 | Introduced | — | — | — | ||
Wyoming | 2013 | HB 97 | Died in committee | — | — | Failed |
Laws passed
State | Time limit | Exceptions after limit | Effective date |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Abortion outlawed | The only exceptions that permit abortion are:[64]
|
November 16, 2019 |
Georgia | Six (6) weeks | The only exceptions that permit abortion after the time limit are:[65]
|
January 1, 2020 |
Missouri | Eight (8) weeks | The only exceptions that permit abortion after the time limit are:[66][67]
|
August 28, 2019 |
Ohio | Six (6) weeks | The only exceptions that permit abortion after the time limit are:[68]
|
July 1, 2019 |
Alabama
House Bill 490 prohibiting abortions after a heartbeat can be detected was passed by a vote of 73–29 in the Alabama House on March 4, 2014. In doing so they became the first state to pass such a bill.[69] The bill later died in committee.[70]
In 2019, Alabama passed an abortion law that is more far-reaching than a heartbeat law.[71] On April 2, 2019, House Bill 314 banning abortions at every stage of pregnancy and criminalizing the procedure for doctors (except in the case of medical emergency or lethal fetal anomaly), was introduced into the House. The bill passed the House on April 30 (74–3),[72] passed the Senate on May 14,[73] and was signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey on May 16.[74]
Arkansas
A fetal heartbeat bill, banning abortion after twelve weeks, was passed on January 31, 2013 by the Arkansas Senate,[75] vetoed in Arkansas by Governor Mike Beebe, but, on March 6, 2013, his veto was overridden by the Arkansas House of Representatives.[76] A federal judge issued a temporary injunction against the Arkansas law in May 2013,[77] and in March 2014, it was struck down by federal judge Susan Webber Wright, who described the law as unconstitutional.[78]
Florida
Two fetal heartbeat bills were filed in the Florida Legislature in 2019.[79] Rep. Mike Hill filed a fetal heartbeat bill (HB 235) on January 10, 2019 in the Florida House of Representatives.[80] A companion bill (SB 792), was filed in the Florida Senate on February 6, 2019 by Sen. Dennis Baxley.[81] The bills, which are identical,[82] would have made it a third-degree felony for a doctor to perform an abortion on a woman after a fetal heartbeat is detected,[83] unless the "woman has been diagnosed with a condition that would create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function if the woman delayed terminating her pregnancy."[84] Both bills died in committee.[80][85]
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has pledged to sign legislation that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat was detected.[86][87]
Georgia
Two fetal heartbeat bills were filed in the Georgia General Assembly in 2015.
Rep. Ed Setzler introduced HB 481 in the Georgia House of Representatives on February 25, 2019.[88] A similar bill is expected to be filed in the Georgia State Senate by Sen. Bruce Thompson soon.[89][90] During his campaign for Governor, Brian Kemp, now the Governor of Georgia, "vow[ed] to sign the toughest abortion laws in the country" and when asked about litigation said, "bring it! I'll fight for life at the Capitol and in the courtroom."[91] After being passed in the House on March 7, 2019, HB 481 was passed out of a Senate committee on March 18, 2019.[92][93] It was subsequently passed by the entire state Senate, after which it was narrowly passed by the House 92-78.[94] The bill was signed by Governor Kemp on May 7, 2019, bringing into effect one of the strictest abortion laws in the country at the time.[95]
The bill would prohibit abortions after a heartbeat can be detected in a conceptus, which is usually when a woman is six weeks pregnant.[10] Democratic opponent of the Georgia bill, former governal candidate Stacey Abrams, called the bill a "forced pregnancy bill."[96]
Iowa
On May 4, 2018 governor Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill that would ban abortion in Iowa after a fetal heartbeat is detected, starting July 1, 2018.[97] On January 22, 2019, a county district judge declared the law to be in violation of Iowa's State Constitution and entered a permanent injunction prohibiting its enforcement.[44] See the Iowa Lawsuit section of this article under the Legal challenges heading for more details related to the litigation over Iowa's fetal heartbeat bill.
Kansas
The bill was introduced and referred to committee in February 2013. The bill was presented to the Kansas house in March 2013.[98] The bill was known as House Bill 2324, "An act prohibiting an abortion of an unborn human individual with a detectable fetal heartbeat."[99] One outspoken advocate of such bills is Mark Gietzen, who has tried to gather as many signatures as possible in order to get Sam Brownback to convene a special session of Congress in order to consider the bill.[100] Gietzen also advocated for a fetal heartbeat law to be passed during a special session of the Kansas legislature, to be held on September 3, 2013.[101] HB 2324 died in committee in May 2014.[98]
Kentucky
Two bills which seek to prohibit abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected have been filed in the Kentucky General Assembly in 2019.[102] Sen. Matt Castlen introduced SB 9 in the Kentucky Senate on January 8, 2019.[103] On February 14, 2019, SB 9 passed out of the Kentucky Senate by a 31–6 vote.[104] The bill was received in the House on February 15, 2019, where it now awaits action by the Kentucky House of Representatives.[105] Damon Thayer, the Senate Republican floor leader said SB 9 "absolutely" is a priority for the chamber and he hopes to hold a full hearing soon on the bill. He said he would be delighted if it became law and ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court as a means to overturn to Roe v. Wade "It would be the pinnacle of my career," he said.[106] On March 14, 2019, the Kentucky House passed SB 9 by a vote of 71–19.[107]
A similar bill by Rep. Robert Goforth was introduced in the Kentucky House of Representatives. The bill, HB 100, which was prefiled on December 13, 2018, was referred to the Health and Family Services Committee on January 10, 2019.[108] When asked about the heartbeat bill, Rep. Goforth, who announced his candidacy for Governor of Kentucky on January 8, 2019, the same day the bill was introduced, said he would be pleased if Kentucky or one of the other states considering similar measures enacted such a law and, in the event of court challenge, took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade.[106]
Previous fetal heartbeat bills filed in Kentucky have failed to pass. A fetal heartbeat bill, HB 132, was introduced on January 7, 2014 by Joseph Fischer. The bill was referred to the House Health and Welfare Committee on March 19, 2014, where the bill died.[109][110] In 2013, Rep. Fischer introduced the same bill with the same bill number (Hb 132) on January 11, 2013. The bill was referred to the House Health and Welfare Committee on February 20, 2013, where the bill died.[111][112]
Maryland
Two fetal heartbeat bills have been filed in the Maryland House of Delegates in 2019. On February 8, 2019,Ric Metzgar filed HB 933.[113] On February 8, 2019, Robin L. Grammer, Jr. filed HB 978, a bill entitled "Keep Our Hearts Beating Act."[114]
Minnesota
On January 22, 2019, Tim Miller filed HF 271 in the Minnesota House of Representatives.[115]
Mississippi
In 2018, three heartbeat bills were filed in Mississippi; all of which died in committee.[116][117][118] In 2017, three heartbeat bills were filed in Mississippi; all of which died in committee.[119][120][121] In 2014, Sen. Joey Fillingane, filed a heartbeat bill in the Mississippi State Senate.[122] The bill died in committee.[123] In 2013, HB 6, was introduced in January and died in committee on February 5, 2013.[124]
Another fetal heartbeat bill filed in 2019, HB 529 by Robert Foster died the House Judiciary A Committee on February 5, 2019.[125]
Three fetal heartbeat bills were filed in the Mississippi Legislature in January 2019.[126] SB 2116, by Sen. Angela Burks Hill was referred to the Public Health and Welfare Committee on January 11, 2019.[127] HB 732, by Rep. Chris Borwn was referred to the Public Health and Human Services Committee on January 17, 2019.[128] After passing out of their respective committees on February 5, 2019,[126] both SB 2116 and HB 732, were passed out of the Mississippi Senate and Mississippi House on February 13, 2019.[129] On March 19, 2019, the Senate concurred in the House amendments to SB 2116,[130] and on March 22, 2019 the fetal heartbeat bill was signed into law by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant.[131]
Missouri
Two fetal heartbeat bills have been filed in Missouri on January 9, 2019.[132] SB 139 was filed in the Missouri Senate by Sen. Andrew Koenig; the bill is pending in the Health and Pensions Committee.[133] HB 126 was filed in the Missouri House of Representatives by Rep. Nick Schroer.[134] On January 30, 2019, HB 126 was referred to the Children and Families Committee, and on February 12, 2019, a public hearing on the bill was completed.[135] On February 21, 2018, HB 126 was voted out of committee to the full House with the recommendation that it "do pass."[136][137] On February 27, 2019, HB 126 was passed out of the Missouri House and was sent to the state Senate.[138] Missouri's House Speaker Elijah Haahr has said he supports the “heartbeat bill” calling it a top priority for the 2019 session.[139][140] When asked if he would sign a fetal heartbeat bill, Governor Mike Parson said, "I’ve been pro-life my entire career, and I support that all the time."[141]
The bill was signed on May 24, 2019 with an effective date of August 28, 2019. The bill bans abortions after 8 weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest.[142]
North Dakota
North Dakota HB 1456 was signed into law in March 2013[143] by Jack Dalrymple, who stated that it was "a legitimate attempt by a state legislature to discover the boundaries of Roe v. Wade." A federal district court found that it clearly violated the constitutional protections afforded in Roe v. Wade and it was quickly blocked.[2] In July of that year, a lawsuit had been filed with regard to the law by the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), on behalf of the only abortion clinic in North Dakota, Red River Women's Clinic. In July 2015, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the bill.[144] The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, but the court denied a writ of certiorari in January 2015 and let stand the decision of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.[145]
Ohio
In Ohio, a fetal heartbeat bill, HB 125, was co-authored by Janet Porter,[146] was introduced in the state legislature in October 2011.[147] The bill was shelved by the Republican majority Senate to avoid controversy.[148] This bill was notably supported by Jack Willke.[29] The original Bill was authored by Janet Porter of Faith2Action; former Governor John Kasich vetoed it twice prior to its passing.[149]
A related law was signed in Ohio in 2013 (HB 248)[150] by John Kasich, which mandates, among other things, that doctors who do not test for a fetal heartbeat must be subject to criminal penalties; specifically, "The doctor’s failure to do so would be a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying up to six months in jail, for the first violation and a fourth-degree felony, carrying up to 18 months in jail, for subsequent violations."[151] A further fetal heartbeat bill, based on Porter's original,[146] was introduced on August 14, 2013, by Lynn Wachtmann and others.[152]
On March 25, 2015, another heartbeat bill (House Bill 69) passed the Ohio House of Representatives.[153] The Guardian reported that "The bill is unlikely to go any further, facing stiff opposition in the senate as well as from John Kasich, the Republican governor of Ohio."[154]
On December 6, 2016, the Ohio Senate added a heartbeat ban provision to an unrelated bill, House Bill 493, previously passed by the Ohio House of Representatives. The bill was returned to the House and passed by the House the same day.[155][156] The bill as passed would make abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat a fifth-degree felony except in cases where a physician judges the abortion necessary "to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman."[157] On December 13, 2016, Kasich vetoed the bill,[158][159][160][161] on the basis that it was unconstitutional and would almost certainly be struck down if challenged in court.[162] The Ohio House of Representatives considered whether to override Kasich's veto, which would require a three-fifths vote in both the House and the Senate.[163] However, the House leadership opted not to call lawmakers back to Columbus before the end of the year, ensuring Kasich's veto would stand.[164]
The bill passed the Ohio Senate with a vote of 21 yeas, out of 33 seats in the senate; it received 10 nays:
Party | Votes for | Votes against | Abstained/Absent | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican (23) | – | |||
Democratic (10) | – | |||
Total (33) | 21 | 10 | 2 |
In the House of Representatives, the bill passed the Ohio House with a vote of 56 yeas, out of 99 seats in the house; it received 39 nays:
Two fetal heartbeat bills were introduced in the Ohio General Assembly in 2019, marking the 133rd Session of the Ohio General Assembly as the fifth time such legislation has been proposed in the state.[166] On February 11, 2019, Christina Hagan and Ron Hood filed HB 68,[167] which was introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives on February 12, 2019.[168] On February 12, 2019, Kristina Roegner filed SB 23 in the Ohio Senate;[169] the bill was referred to the Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee on February 13, 2019.[170] On February 21, 2019, the President of the Ohio Senate, Larry Obhof pledged to pass SB 23 out of the upper chamber stating, “We are going to pass that bill by the middle of March. I have no doubt at all.”[171] On March 13, 2019, SB 23 was passed out of the Ohio Senate by a vote of 19 to 13.[172] The next month, the Ohio House amended the bill, and passed it, 56–40; the changes were ratified in the Senate, 18-13.[173] The bill was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine on April 11, 2019.[174][175][176] On the third of July 2019, a federal judge blocked the implementation of the bill temporarily, just days before the law was to take effect.[177]
Oklahoma
A fetal heartbeat bill (SB 1274) was signed into law by then-Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin in April 2012 that requires an abortion provider to offer a woman the opportunity to hear the conceptus's heartbeat before ending the pregnancy, and applies when the conceptus is at least eight weeks old. The bill took effect in November 2012.[178]
Pennsylvania
A fetal heartbeat bill (HB 2315) was introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on May 2, 2018, primarily sponsored by Rep Rick Saccone.[179] The bill was referred to the Judiciary Committee where it died.[180]
South Carolina
Rep. John McCravy prefiled HB 3020 in the South Carolina House of Representatives in December 2018.[181] The bill, which is entitled "Fetal Heartbeat Protection from Abortion Act", was introduced on January 8, 2018 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.[182] Previous attempts to pass fetal heartbeat bills in the South Carolina General Assembly have failed. The state Senate voted 30–13 on January 27, 2021 to pass the new ban, which is expected to become law. "Life is the most precious right we have," said state Sen Larry Grooms, who sponsored the bill. "Government's primary duty is to protect the fundamental right to life. Without life, no other rights really matter." Gov. Henry McMaster has pledged to sign it if it reaches his desk, and the state's Republican-controlled House has passed similar legislation in previous years.[183]
Tennessee
Two fetal heartbeat bills were filed in the Tennessee General Assembly in 2019. On January 23, 2019, by Rep. James "Micah" Van Huss filed HB 77 in the Tennessee House of Representatives.[184] On February 7, 2019, Sen. Mark Pody filed SB 1236 in the Tennessee Senate.[185] On February 20, 2019, HB 77 was passed out of a Public Health subcommittee and sent to the full committee.[186] On February 26, 2019, the House Public Health Committee voted 15–4 to send HB 77 to the House floor for a full vote.[187][188] On February 7, 2019, HB 77 was passed out of the Tennessee House by a vote of 66–21.[189]
Texas
On February 7, 2019, Briscoe Cain, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, introduced a fetal heartbeat bill entitled the Texas Heartbeat Bill.[190] The bill (HB 1500) is joint authored by Representatives Phil King, Dan Flynn, Tan Parker, and Rick Miller.[191] As of February 26, 2019, HB 1500 had 57 sponsors or cosponsors of the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives.[192] Former State Senator Wendy Davis said HB 1500 is “the most dangerous I’ve ever seen."[193]
A fetal heartbeat bill was previously introduced in Texas by Phil King on July 18, 2013, in the wake of Rick Perry signing Texas Senate Bill 5 into law.[194] The bill was not passed.[195]
West Virginia
Two fetal heartbeat bills have been introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2019. On February 7, 2019, Ralph Rodighiero (D-Logan) filed HB 2903 entitled "The Fetal Hearbeat Act."[196] On February 8, 2019, Evan Worrell (R-Cabell) filed HB 2915.[197]
Wyoming
A fetal heartbeat bill, HB 97, was introduced in the Wyoming House of Representatives in January 2013 by Kendell Kroeker, however in February 2013 the bill was struck down by a house committee in a 4–5 vote.[14][198]
Notes
- The figure of "six weeks" is frequently quoted in the media. According to the Endowment for Human Development, a conceptus heart begins to beat at 22 days of pregnancy.[6] However, some uncertainty remains as to when this heartbeat can be detected, as it depends on the method used. When a transvaginal ultrasound is used, the heartbeat can be detected, in about 60% of pregnancies, at between eight and nine weeks of gestation,[7]
References
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Because that’s before many people know they are pregnant, reproductive rights advocates say the “heartbeat” bills are de facto abortion bans
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In January 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving the Eighth Circuit’s ruling in place.
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The lawsuit is being filed by the ACLU of Iowa and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America as co-counsel on behalf of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and Dr. Jill Meadows. The Emma Goldman Clinic of Iowa City is also a co-plaintiff in the case.
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In his decision striking down the abortion law, Polk County District Judge Michael Huppert cited the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling last year in a challenge to a different abortion-restriction law. The high court held that "a woman's right to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy is a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution" in that ruling.
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A Joint Resolution proposing anamendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa that the Constitution of the State of Iowa does not secure or protect a right to or require the funding of abortion.
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Introduced: on January 24, 2019
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As with Arkansas’ law, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case. The law remains permanently blocked.
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Abortion-rights advocates won’t have to go to court immediately to stop implementation of the Louisiana law; its effective date is keyed to judicial review of a similar law in next-door Mississippi that has already been blocked by a district-court judge.
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- Ivey, Kay [@GovernorKayIvey] (May 15, 2019). "Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God" (Tweet). Retrieved May 22, 2019 – via Twitter.
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Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, filed an identical bill (HB 235) last month
- Callahan, Joe (February 8, 2019). "State Sen. Dennis Baxley files 'heartbeat' bill". Ocala Star Banner. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
Doctors who perform abortions after a heartbeat is detected could face a third-degree felony, according to language written into both bills
- Garrand, Danielle (January 22, 2019). "Florida bill would ban abortions if fetal heartbeat detected". CBS News. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
an abortion can be provided if a woman has been diagnosed with a condition that "would create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function if the woman delayed terminating her pregnancy."
- "SB 792 (2019) - Abortion". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
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Republican gubernatorial candidates Adam Putnam and Ron DeSantis both pledged at their first debate to sign legislation to ban abortions “after a fetal heartbeat is detected."
- Garrand, Danielle (January 22, 2019). "Florida bill would ban abortions if fetal heartbeat detected". CBS News. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
During now-Gov. Ron DeSantis' first gubernatorial debate, he pledged to sign legislation that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat was detected
- Prabhu, Maya (February 26, 2019). "Georgia Republican files 'heartbeat' bill that would effectively ban abortion". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
State Rep. Ed Setzler on Monday introduced House Bill 481, which would outlaw abortions once a doctor can detect a heartbeat in the womb.
- Darnell, Tim (February 26, 2019). "Anti-Abortion 'Heartbeat' Bill Introduced By 2 Cobb Legislators". Patch. Patch Media. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
State Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) and Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White) introduced Georgia's version of a "heartbeat bill," making Georgia the 12th state to introduce heartbeat legislation this year, according to the Family Policy Alliance of Georgia.
- Prabhu, Maya (February 26, 2019). "Georgia Republican files 'heartbeat' bill that would effectively ban abortion". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
A similar bill is expected to be filed in the Senate this week.
- Jimison, Robert (February 27, 2019). "Republican Lawmakers In Georgia Aim For Most Restrictive Abortion Law in The Country". Georgia Public Radio – GPB News. NPR. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
Before becoming governor, Brian Kemp campaigned on the promise to sign "the toughest abortion laws in the country." ... I back Mississippi's ban on abortions after fifteen weeks and vow to sign the toughest abortion laws in the country as your next governor. If abortion rights activists want to sue me...bring it! I'll fight for life at the Capitol and in the courtroom.
- "2019–2020 Regular Session – HB 481". legis.ga.gov. Georgia General Assembly. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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- "Nearly all abortions banned in Iowa as Gov. Kim Reynolds signs 'fetal heartbeat' law". Des Moines Register. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
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- "The Latest: Kentucky Senate passes fetal heartbeat bill". The Washington Post. February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
The Kentucky Senate has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state once a fetal heartbeat is detected. The Republican-led chamber’s 31–6 vote on Thursday came a few hours after the measure cleared a committee. The bill now goes to the state House, which is also run by Republicans.
- "KY SB9 – 2019 – Regular Session". LegiScan.
- Yetter, Deborah (January 10, 2019). "After striking out twice, GOP tries again to 'effectively' ban abortion". Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
And he said he would be pleased if Kentucky or one of the other states considering similar measures enacted such a law and, in the event of court challenge, took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade
- Heller, Marsha (March 15, 2019). "KY House passes fetal heartbeat bill". KFVS 12 (CBS). Retrieved March 20, 2019.
Senate Bill 9, known as the “fetal heartbeat bill”, was passed by the Kentucky House on Thursday, March 14, by a vote of 71–19.
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- "Minnesota Legislature – HF271 – 91st Legislature (2019–2020)". revisor.mn.gov. Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
Description: Abortion prohibited when a fetal heartbeat is detected with certain exceptions, and penalties provided.
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- Wagster Pettus, Emily (February 13, 2019). "Mississippi advances ban on abortion after fetal heartbeat". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
The Republican-controlled Mississippi House and Senate passed separate bills Wednesday to ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy.
- "Fetal heartbeat bill heads to governor". WTOK 11 (ABC). March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
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2019-01-30 House Referred: Children and Families; 2019-02-12 House Public Hearing Completed
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Date/Last Action: 2/21/2019 – Reported Do Pass (H)
- Cole, Ashley (February 21, 2019). "Bill to ban fetal heartbeat abortion in Missouri goes to House next". KSDK-TV. NBC 5. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
The bill to ban fetal heartbeat abortion will go to the Missouri House next. The rules committee met Thursday morning.
- Associated Press (February 28, 2019). "MO House passes fetal heartbeat bill; legislation moves to the Senate". ABC 7 – KHQA. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- Ballentine, Summer (February 14, 2019). "Abortion bill could cost Missouri $7B in Medicaid funding". Associated Press. apnews.com. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
Republican House Speaker Elijah Haahr on Thursday called a bill to ban most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected a priority
- McKinley, Edward; Woodall, Hunter (February 12, 2019). "With eye on Supreme Court, Missouri Republicans file flurry of anti-abortion bills". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
Haahr said he supports the “heartbeat bill” and that some form of anti-abortion legislation will definitely pass the House this year.
- McKinley, Edward; Woodall, Hunter (February 12, 2019). "With eye on Supreme Court, Missouri Republicans file flurry of anti-abortion bills". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
Gov. Mike Parson, asked if he would sign such legislation, said: “I’ve been pro-life my entire career, and I support that all the time… I’m going to support pro-life.”
- "Missouri bill banning abortions at 8 weeks signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson". CBS News. May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
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- Provance, Jim (July 8, 2013). "Both sides of debate find Ohio abortion law decision to be historic". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
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- Oates, Lindsey J. (April 6, 2015). "Ohio abortion bill creating controversy among college women". USA Today. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
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- Cadinsky, Catherine; Ludlow, Randy; Siegel, Jim. "House joins Senate in approving heartbeat abortion bill". The Columbus Dispatch. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
- Everhart, Michelle (December 7, 2016). "Ohio Politics Now: Will John Kasich sign the Heartbeat bill?". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media and Propel/DMG. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- "House Bill 493, As Passed By The Senate" (PDF). The Ohio Legislature. The Ohio Legislature, 131st General Assembly. December 6, 2016. p. 46. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
Sec. 2919.195. (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, no person shall knowingly and purposefully perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman with the specific intent of causing or abetting the termination of the life of the unborn human individual the pregnant woman is carrying and whose fetal heartbeat has been detected in accordance with division (A) of section 2919.192 of the Revised Code. Whoever violates this division is guilty of performing or inducing an abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, a felony of the fifth degree. (B) Division (A) of this section does not apply to a physician who performs a medical procedure that, in the physician's reasonable medical judgment, is designed or intended to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman. A physician who performs a medical procedure as described in this division shall declare, in a written document, that the medical procedure is necessary, to the best of the physician's reasonable medical judgment, to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman. In the document, the physician shall specify the pregnant woman's medical condition that the medical procedure is asserted to address and the medical rationale for the physician's conclusion that the medical procedure is necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman. A physician who performs a medical procedure as described in this division shall place the written document required by this division in the pregnant woman's medical records. The physician shall maintain a copy of the document in the physician's own records for at least seven years from the date the document is created. (C) A person is not in violation of division (A) of this section if the person acts in accordance with division (A) of section 2919.192 of the Revised Code and the method used to determine the presence of a fetal heartbeat does not reveal a fetal heartbeat. (D) Division (A) of this section does not have the effect of repealing or limiting any other provision of the Revised Code that restricts or regulates the performance or inducement of an abortion by a particular method or during a particular stage of a pregnancy.
- Higgs, Robert (December 13, 2016). "Gov. John Kasich vetoes anti-abortion Heartbeat Bill, signs 20-week abortion ban". Cleveland.com. Columbus. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
- Graham, Ruth. "Extreme anti-abortion "heartbeat" bill passes Ohio state legislature in wave of Trump optimism". Slate.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- "Ohio's 'heartbeat bill': How conservative judges in other states gutted similar laws". Cleveland.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
- Beth Mole (May 17, 2012). ""Trumpmania" abortion battle begins: Ohio passes extreme heartbeat bill". Ars Technica. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
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- Ludlow, Randy (December 15, 2016). "Ohio House may try to override Kasich's veto of 'Heartbeat' abortion bill". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media and Propel/DMG. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- "Ohio lawmakers won't attempt to override veto of 'heartbeat' bill". The Columbus Dispatch. The Associated Press. December 28, 2016.
- "House Bill 493 – Votes". The Ohio Legislature. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- Kalser, Karen (February 13, 2019). "Heartbeat Bill Gets First Hearing For What Could Be Its Last Time Through The Legislature". The Statehouse News Bureau. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
It’s the fifth time the Heartbeat Bill has been proposed. Republican House Speaker Larry Householder says he wants it to start in the Senate this time. But Rep. Ron Hood (R-Ashville) joined with fellow Republican Candice Keller (R-Middletown) to propose it in the House anyway, though he’s on board with the Senate version too.
- "Ohio abortion 'heartbeat bill' returns to Legislature". WLWT5 (NBC). The Associated Press. February 12, 2019.
- "133rd General Assembly – House Bill 68". legislature.ohio.gov. The Ohio Legislature. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- Frazin, Rachel (February 12, 2019). "Ohio lawmakers reintroduce 'heartbeat' abortion bill". thehill.com. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- "OH SB23 | 2019–2020 | 133rd General Assembly". legiscan.com. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
Status: Introduced on February 12, 2019 . . . Action: 2019-02-13 – Refer to Committee: Health, Human Services and Medicaid
- Kalser, Karen (February 21, 2019). "Senate President Says "Heartbeat Bill" Will Pass His Chamber Next Month". The Statehouse News Bureau. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
“We are going to pass that bill by the middle of March. I have no doubt at all,” said Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina).
- Kaplan, Talia (March 14, 2019). "Ohio 'heartbeat' abortion ban passes Senate as governor vows to sign it". Fox News. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
- Frazin, Rachel (April 10, 2019). "Ohio legislature sends 'heartbeat' abortion bill to governor's desk". The Hill. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
- Haynes, Danielle (April 11, 2019). "Ohio Gov. DeWine signs 'heartbeat' abortion bill". UPI. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
- http://time.com/5568922/ohio-ban-abortion-first-heartbeat/
- "Ohio governor to sign ban on abortion after first detectable heartbeat". CNBC. April 11, 2019.
- "U.S. judge blocks Ohio 'heartbeat' law to end most abortions". Reuters. July 4, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- "Oklahoma governor signs fetal heartbeat bill". NewsOK.com. April 28, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
- "Regular Session 2017–2018 – House Bill 2315". legis.state.pa.us. Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
Referred to JUDICIARY, May 2, 2018 [House]
- "PA HB2315 | 2017–2018 | Regular Session". legiscan.com. Legi Scan. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
Status: Introduced on May 2, 2018 – 25% progression, died in committee Action: 2018-05-02 – Referred to JUDICIARY
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- "SC – 122nd General Assembly – House Bill 5403".
- "TN HB0077 | 2019–2020 | 111th General Assembly". legiscan.com. Legi Scan. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
Summary: As introduced, prohibits abortions from the point a fetal heartbeat is detected
- "TN SB1236 | 2019–2020 | 111th General Assembly". legiscan.com. Legi Scna. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
Summary: As introduced, prohibits abortions from the point a fetal heartbeat is detected
- Wadhwani, Anita (February 20, 2019). "'Heartbeat' abortion ban advances in Tennessee legislature". Tennessean. USA Today Network. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
A bill that would outlaw abortions in Tennessee after a fetal heartbeat can be detected advanced out of a legislative subcommittee on Wednesday. The measure, proposed by state Rep. Micah Van Huss, R-Jonesborough, and state Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, would make it a crime to perform an abortion in Tennessee once a fetal heartbeat can be detected — which typically occurs in the early weeks of a woman's pregnancy.
- Kruesi, Kimberlee (February 26, 2019). "Abortion: Tennessee lawmakers advance fetal heartbeat bill". ABC 6. Associated Press. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
Republicans on the House Health Committee voted 15–4 to send the legislation to the House floor for a full vote
- Wadhwani, Anita (February 26, 2019). "Bill that bans abortions in Tennessee after fetal heart beat sails through House committee". Tennessean. USA Today Network. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
A House committee voted 15–4 in favor of a bill that would ban most abortions in Tennessee, getting one step closer to a vote by the legislature on one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the nation. The so-called "fetal heartbeat" bill is making its way through Senate committees, but easily passed early hurdles. Tuesday's vote in the health committee means the bill moves on to a vote by the House of Representatives.
- Samuels, Brett (March 8, 2019). "Tennessee state House passes 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban". The Hill. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would outlaw abortions in the state after a fetus has a detectable heartbeat. . . The legislation passed 66–21.
- "Representative Cain Files The Texas Heartbeat Bill". house.texas.gov. Texas House of Representatives. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
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- Young, Stephen (February 26, 2019). "More Than a Third of the Texas House Is Backing a Stealth Abortion Ban". Dallas Observer. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
Fifty-seven of the 150 member body of the Texas House have signed on as authors, co-authors or sponsors of Cain's legislation.
- Camarillo, Vicky (February 26, 2019). "The 'Fetal Heartbeat' Bill Has 57 Authors. All but 3 of them Are Men". Texas Observer. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
Former state Senator Wendy Davis called the bill “the most dangerous I’ve ever seen” in a call to action last week.
- "Texas Legislators File Radical 'Fetal Heartbeat' Bill To Ban Abortion After Just Six Weeks – ThinkProgress". ThinkProgress.
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