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S.B. 69 Enrolled

                 

PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION AMENDMENTS

                 
2004 GENERAL SESSION

                 
STATE OF UTAH

                 
Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

                  Gregory S. Bell
                  Leonard M. Blackham
                  D. Chris Buttars
                  Dan R. Eastman
                  Beverly Ann Evans
                  James M. Evans
                  David L. GladwellThomas V. Hatch
Parley G. Hellewell
John W. Hickman
Lyle W. Hillyard
Scott K. Jenkins
Sheldon L. Killpack
Peter C. KnudsonHoward A. Stephenson
David L. Thomas
John L. Valentine
Michael G. Waddoups
Carlene M. Walker
Bill Wright
L. Alma Mansell                  
                  LONG TITLE
                  General Description:
                      This bill modifies sections of the Utah Criminal Code relating to partial birth abortion.
                  Highlighted Provisions:
                      This bill:
                      .    revises definitions;
                      .    prohibits and makes criminal and civil penalties for a physician that performs a partial
                  birth abortion;
                      .    provides and sets limitations on remedies for a father or the maternal grandparents of
                  the fetus;
                      .    provides that a physician accused of an offense of performing a partial birth abortion
                  is entitled to a hearing before the Physicians Licensing Board or Osteopathic
                  Physician and Surgeon's Licensing Board to determine the necessity of the
                  physician's conduct;
                      .    providing for contingent continuance of prior law; and
                      .    makes technical changes.
                  Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
                      None
                  Other Special Clauses:


                      None
                  Utah Code Sections Affected:
                  AMENDS:
                      76-7-301, as last amended by Chapter 70, Laws of Utah 1993
                      76-7-310.5, as enacted by Chapter 267, Laws of Utah 1996
                      76-7-314, as last amended by Chapter 267, Laws of Utah 1996
                  ENACTS:
                      76-7-326, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      76-7-327, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      76-7-328, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      76-7-329, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      76-7-330, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                 
                  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
                      Section 1. Section 76-7-301 is amended to read:
                       76-7-301. Definitions.
                      As used in this part:
                      (1) "Abortion" means the intentional termination or attempted termination of human
                  pregnancy after implantation of a fertilized ovum, and includes any and all procedures undertaken
                  to kill a live unborn child and includes all procedures undertaken to produce a miscarriage.
                  "Abortion" does not include removal of a dead unborn child.
                      (2) "Medical emergency" means that condition which, on the basis of the physician's good
                  faith clinical judgment, so [complicates the medical condition] threatens the life of a pregnant
                  woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death, or for which
                  a delay will create serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of major bodily function.
                      (3) (a) "Partial birth abortion" means an abortion in which the person performing the
                  abortion:
                      (i) deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living fetus until, in the case of a head

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                  first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside the body of the mother, or, in the case of breech
                  presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother, for the
                  purpose of performing an overt act that the person knows will kill the partially delivered living
                  fetus; and
                      (ii) performs the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially living
                  fetus.
                      (b) "Partial birth abortion" does not include the dilation and evacuation procedure
                  involving dismemberment prior to removal, the suction curettage procedure, or the suction
                  aspiration procedure for abortion.
                      (3) "Physician" means a medical doctor licensed to practice medicine and surgery under
                  [the] Title 58, Chapter 67, Utah Medical Practice Act, a physician in the employment of the
                  government of the United States who is similarly qualified, or an osteopathic physician licensed to
                  practice osteopathic medicine under [the] Title 58, Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic [Medicine
                  Licensing] Medical Practice Act.
                      (4) "Hospital" means a general hospital licensed by the Department of Health according
                  to Title 26, Chapter 21, and includes a clinic or other medical facility to the extent that such clinic
                  or other medical facility provides equipment and personnel sufficient in quantity and quality to
                  provide the same degree of safety to the pregnant woman and the unborn child as would be
                  provided for the particular medical procedures undertaken by a general hospital licensed by the
                  Department of Health. It shall be the responsibility of the Department of Health to determine if
                  such clinic or other medical facility so qualifies and to so certify.
                      Section 2. Section 76-7-310.5 is amended to read:
                       76-7-310.5. Prohibition of specified abortion procedures -- Viability defined.
                      [(1) As used in this section:]
                      [(a) "Partial birth abortion" or "dilation and extraction procedure" means the termination
                  of pregnancy by partially vaginally delivering a living intact fetus, purposefully inserting an
                  instrument into the skull of the intact fetus, and utilizing a suction device to remove the skull
                  contents. This definition does not include the dilation and evacuation procedure involving

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                  dismemberment prior to removal, the suction curettage procedure, or the suction aspiration
                  procedure for abortion.]
                      [(b) "Saline] (1) As used in this section, "saline abortion procedure" means performance
                  of amniocentesis and injection of saline into the amniotic sac within the uterine cavity.
                      (2) (a) After viability has been determined in accordance with Subsection [(b)] (2)(b), no
                  person may knowingly perform [a partial birth abortion or dilation and extraction procedure, or] a
                  saline abortion procedure[,] unless all other available abortion procedures would pose a risk to the
                  life or the health of the pregnant woman.
                      (b) For purposes of this section determination of viability shall be made by the physician,
                  based upon his own best clinical judgment. The physician shall determine whether, based on the
                  particular facts of a woman's pregnancy that are known to him, and in light of medical technology
                  and information reasonably available to him, there is a realistic possibility of maintaining and
                  nourishing a life outside of the womb, with or without temporary, artificial life-sustaining support.
                      (3) Intentional, knowing, and willful violation of this section is a third degree felony.
                      Section 3. Section 76-7-314 is amended to read:
                       76-7-314. Violations of abortion laws -- Classifications.
                      (1) (a) Any person who intentionally performs an abortion other than as authorized by
                  this part is guilty of a felony of the third degree.
                      (b) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman who seeks to have or
                  obtains an abortion for herself is not criminally liable.
                      (ii) A woman upon whom a partial birth abortion is performed may not be prosecuted
                  under Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 for a conspiracy to violate Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 .
                      (2) A willful violation of Section 76-7-307 , 76-7-308 , 76-7-310 , 76-7-310.5 , 76-7-311 ,
                  or 76-7-312 is a felony of the third degree.
                      (3) A violation of Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 is a felony of the third degree.
                      [(3)] (4) A violation of any other provision of this part is a class A misdemeanor.
                      Section 4. Section 76-7-326 is enacted to read:
                      76-7-326. Partial birth abortions prohibited.

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                      Any physician who knowingly performs a partial birth abortion and thereby kills a human
                  fetus shall be fined or imprisoned, or both, as provided under this part. This section does not
                  apply to a partial birth abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is
                  endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life endangering
                  physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
                      Section 5. Section 76-7-327 is enacted to read:
                      76-7-327. Remedies for father or maternal grandparents.
                      (1) The father, if married to the mother at the time she receives a partial birth abortion,
                  and if the mother has not attained the age of 18 years at the time of the abortion, the maternal
                  grandparents of the fetus, may in a civil action obtain appropriate relief, unless the pregnancy
                  resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion.
                      (2) Such relief shall include:
                      (a) money damages for all injuries, psychological and physical, occasioned by the
                  violation of Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 ; and
                      (b) statutory damages equal to three times the cost of the partial birth abortion.
                      Section 6. Section 76-7-328 is enacted to read:
                      76-7-328. Hearing to determine necessity of physician's conduct.
                      (1) A physician accused of an offense under Section 76-7-326 may seek a hearing before
                  the Physicians Licensing Board created in Section 58-67-201 , or the Osteopathic Physician and
                  Surgeon's Licensing Board created in Section 58-68-201 on whether the physician's conduct was
                  necessary to save the life of the mother whose life was endangered by a physical disorder, physical
                  illness, or physical injury, including a life endangering physical condition caused by or arising from
                  the pregnancy itself.
                      (2) The findings on that issue are admissible on that issue at the trial of the physician.
                  Upon a motion from the physician, the court shall delay the beginning of the trial for not more
                  than 30 days to permit such a hearing to take place.
                      Section 7. Section 76-7-329 is enacted to read:
                      76-7-329. Person unauthorized to perform abortions -- Penalties.

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                      A person who is not legally authorized by the state to perform abortions, but who
                  nevertheless directly performs a partial birth abortion, is subject to Sections 76-7-301 , 76-7-314 ,
                  76-7-326 , and 76-7-327 .
                      Section 8. Section 76-7-330 is enacted to read:
                      76-7-330. Contingent continuance of prior law.
                      (1) If the implementation of Section 76-7-326 enacted by this bill is stayed or otherwise
                  ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction to not be implemented, beginning on the day on
                  which the implementation of Section 76-7-326 is stayed or otherwise ordered not to be
                  implemented the statutes listed in Subsection (2) shall:
                      (a) be given effect as if this bill did not amend those statutes; and
                      (b) remain in effect as if not amended by this bill until the day on which a court orders
                  that Section 76-7-326 may be implemented.
                      (2) Subsection (1) applies to:
                      (a) Section 76-7-301 ;
                      (b) Section 76-7-310.5 ; and
                      (c) Section 76-7-314 .
                      (3) Nothing in this section prevents the Legislature from amending, repealing, or taking
                  any other action regarding the sections listed in Subsection (2) in this or a subsequent session.

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