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Second Substitute S.B. 69

Representative Mike Thompson proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION AMENDMENTS

             2     
2004 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             5      Gregory S. Bell
             6      Leonard M. Blackham
             7      D. Chris Buttars
             8      Dan R. Eastman
             9      Beverly Ann Evans
             10      James M. Evans
             11      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              12     
             13      LONG TITLE
             14      General Description:
             15          This bill modifies sections of the Utah Criminal Code relating to partial birth abortion.
             16      Highlighted Provisions:
             17          This bill:
             18          .    revises definitions;
             19          .    prohibits and makes criminal and civil penalties for a physician that performs a
             20      partial birth abortion;
             21          .    provides and sets limitations on remedies for a father or the maternal grandparents
             22      of the fetus;
             23          .    provides that a physician accused of an offense of performing a partial birth
             24      abortion is entitled to a hearing before the Physicians Licensing Board or
             25      Osteopathic Physician and Surgeon's Licensing Board to determine the necessity of
             26      the physician's conduct; and


             27          .    makes technical changes.


             28      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             29          None
             30      Other Special Clauses:
             31          None
             32      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             33      AMENDS:
             34          76-7-301, as last amended by Chapter 70, Laws of Utah 1993
             35          76-7-310.5, as enacted by Chapter 267, Laws of Utah 1996
             36          76-7-314, as last amended by Chapter 267, Laws of Utah 1996
             37      ENACTS:
             38          76-7-326, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             39          76-7-327, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             40          76-7-328, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             41          76-7-329, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             42     
             43      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             44          Section 1. Section 76-7-301 is amended to read:
             45           76-7-301. Definitions.
             46          As used in this part:
             47          (1) "Abortion" means the intentional termination or attempted termination of human
             48      pregnancy after implantation of a fertilized ovum, and includes any and all procedures
             49      undertaken to kill a live unborn child and includes all procedures undertaken to produce a
             50      miscarriage. "Abortion" does not include removal of a dead unborn child.
             51          (2) "Medical emergency" means that condition which, on the basis of the physician's
             52      good faith clinical judgment, so [complicates the medical condition] threatens the life of a
             53      pregnant woman as to necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert her death,
             54      or for which a delay will create serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of major
             55      bodily function.
             56          (3) (a) "Partial birth abortion" means an abortion in which the person performing the
             57      abortion:
             58          (i) deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living fetus until, in the case of a



             59      head first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside the body of the mother, or, in the case of
             60      breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother,
             61      for the purpose of performing an overt act that the person knows will kill the partially delivered
             62      living fetus; and
             63          (ii) performs the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially
             64      living fetus.
             65          (b) "Partial birth abortion" does not include the dilation and evacuation procedure
             66      involving dismemberment prior to removal, the suction curettage procedure, or the suction
             67      aspiration procedure for abortion.
             68          (3) "Physician" means a medical doctor licensed to practice medicine and surgery
             69      under [the] Title 58, Chapter 67, Utah Medical Practice Act, a physician in the employment of
             70      the government of the United States who is similarly qualified, or an osteopathic physician
             71      licensed to practice osteopathic medicine under [the] Title 58, Chapter 68, Utah Osteopathic
             72      [Medicine Licensing] Medical Practice Act.
             73          (4) "Hospital" means a general hospital licensed by the Department of Health
             74      according to Title 26, Chapter 21, and includes a clinic or other medical facility to the extent
             75      that such clinic or other medical facility provides equipment and personnel sufficient in
             76      quantity and quality to provide the same degree of safety to the pregnant woman and the
             77      unborn child as would be provided for the particular medical procedures undertaken by a
             78      general hospital licensed by the Department of Health. It shall be the responsibility of the
             79      Department of Health to determine if such clinic or other medical facility so qualifies and to so
             80      certify.
             81          Section 2. Section 76-7-310.5 is amended to read:
             82           76-7-310.5. Prohibition of specified abortion procedures -- Viability defined.
             83          [(1) As used in this section:]
             84          [(a) "Partial birth abortion" or "dilation and extraction procedure" means the
             85      termination of pregnancy by partially vaginally delivering a living intact fetus, purposefully
             86      inserting an instrument into the skull of the intact fetus, and utilizing a suction device to
             87      remove the skull contents. This definition does not include the dilation and evacuation
             88      procedure involving dismemberment prior to removal, the suction curettage procedure, or the
             89      suction aspiration procedure for abortion.]


             90          [(b) "Saline] (1) As used in this section, "saline abortion procedure" means
             91      performance of amniocentesis and injection of saline into the amniotic sac within the uterine
             92      cavity.
             93          (2) (a) After viability has been determined in accordance with Subsection [(b)] (2)(b),
             94      no person may knowingly perform [a partial birth abortion or dilation and extraction procedure,
             95      or] a saline abortion procedure[,] unless all other available abortion procedures would pose a
             96      risk to the life or the health of the pregnant woman.
             97          (b) For purposes of this section determination of viability shall be made by the
             98      physician, based upon his own best clinical judgment. The physician shall determine whether,
             99      based on the particular facts of a woman's pregnancy that are known to him, and in light of
             100      medical technology and information reasonably available to him, there is a realistic possibility
             101      of maintaining and nourishing a life outside of the womb, with or without temporary, artificial
             102      life-sustaining support.
             103          (3) Intentional, knowing, and willful violation of this section is a third degree felony.
             104          Section 3. Section 76-7-314 is amended to read:
             105           76-7-314. Violations of abortion laws -- Classifications.
             106          (1) (a) Any person who intentionally performs an abortion other than as authorized by
             107      this part is guilty of a felony of the third degree.
             108          (b) (i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman who seeks to have or
             109      obtains an abortion for herself is not criminally liable.
             110          (ii) A woman upon whom a partial birth abortion is performed may not be prosecuted
             111      under Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 for a conspiracy to violate Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 .
             112          (2) A willful violation of Section 76-7-307 , 76-7-308 , 76-7-310 , 76-7-310.5 , 76-7-311 ,
             113      or 76-7-312 is a felony of the third degree.
             114          (3) A violation of Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 is a felony of the third degree.
             115          [(3)] (4) A violation of any other provision of this part is a class A misdemeanor.
             116          Section 4. Section 76-7-326 is enacted to read:
             117          76-7-326. Partial birth abortions prohibited.
             118          Any physician who knowingly performs a partial birth abortion and thereby kills a
             119      human fetus shall be fined or imprisoned, or both, as provided under this part. This section
             120      does not apply to a partial birth abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life


             121      is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life
             122      endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
             123          Section 5. Section 76-7-327 is enacted to read:
             124          76-7-327. Remedies for father or maternal grandparents.
             125          (1) The father, if married to the mother at the time she receives a partial birth abortion,
             126      and if the mother has not attained the age of 18 years at the time of the abortion, the maternal
             127      grandparents of the fetus, may in a civil action obtain appropriate relief, unless the pregnancy
             128      resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion.
             129          (2) Such relief shall include:
             130          (a) money damages for all injuries, psychological and physical, occasioned by the
             131      violation of Section 76-7-326 or 76-7-329 ; and
             132          (b) statutory damages equal to three times the cost of the partial birth abortion.
             133          Section 6. Section 76-7-328 is enacted to read:
             134          76-7-328. Hearing to determine necessity of physician's conduct.
             135          (1) A physician accused of an offense under Section 76-7-326 may seek a hearing
             136      before the Physicians Licensing Board created in Section 58-67-201 , or the Osteopathic
             137      Physician and Surgeon's Licensing Board created in Section 58-68-201 on whether the
             138      physician's conduct was necessary to save the life of the mother whose life was endangered by
             139      a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life endangering physical
             140      condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
             141          (2) The findings on that issue are admissible on that issue at the trial of the physician.
             142      Upon a motion from the physician, the court shall delay the beginning of the trial for not more
             143      than 30 days to permit such a hearing to take place.
             144          Section 7. Section 76-7-329 is enacted to read:
             145          76-7-329. Person unauthorized to perform abortions -- Penalties.
             146          A person who is not legally authorized by the state to perform abortions, but who
             147      nevertheless directly performs a partial birth abortion, is subject to Sections 76-7-301 ,
             148      76-7-314 , 76-7-326 , and 76-7-327 .





Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-30-04 10:51 AM


The legislative prohibition of partial birth abortion procedures in this bill raises constitutional
issues. The United States Supreme Court has considered the constitutionality of a ban on
partial birth abortions in Stenberg v. Carhart, 530 U.S. 914 (2000). In Stenberg, the Nebraska
statute was held to be unconstitutional for at least two independent reasons: first, because the
law lacked any exception for the preservation of the health of the woman, and second, because
it imposed an undue burden on a woman's ability to choose a more commonly used method of
abortion, thereby unduly burdening the right to choose abortion itself. See Stenberg, 530 U.S.
at 930 (citing Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833, 874 (1992)).

The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently ruled that an Ohio statute
prohibiting partial birth abortion was constitutional. The court held that Ohio's statute did "not
restrict the most commonly used procedure for second trimester abortions . . . [and] provide[d]
an exception for significant health risks" and therefore did "not impose an undue burden on a
woman's right to abort a non-viable fetus." Women's Medical Professional Corp. v. Taft, 2003
U.S. App. Lexis 25413, 2003 Fed. App. 0446P (6th Cir. Dec. 17, 2003). The Ohio statute
allows a partial birth abortion for either the preservation of the life or health of the woman.
This bill provides an exception for the life of the woman; it does not provide a health exception
as appears to be required by both the United States Supreme Court and Sixth Circuit Court
cases.
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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