Ky. Senate Approves Bill Requiring Ultrasounds, In-Person Consultations Before Abortions

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: MRI / PET / Ultrasound;  Psychology / Psychiatry;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 28 Jan 2010 - 5:00 PDT

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The Kentucky Senate on Monday voted 32-4 to approve a bill (SB 38) that would require physicians to show women an ultrasound and describe "the dimensions of the embryo or fetus and the presence of external members and internal organs, if present and viewable," the Louisville Courier-Journal reports (Gerth, Louisville Courier-Journal, 1/25). State Sen. Elizabeth Tori (R), lead sponsor of the bill, said it would not prohibit a woman from averting her eyes from the image (AP/Kentucky Enquirer, 1/26).

The bill also would require physicians or someone they designate to meet with the patient in person at least 24 hours before the procedure to explain the process. Under current law, physicians can provide the information over the phone. Physicians who do not follow the bill's requirements could face a fine of as much as $100,000 for the first offense and up to $250,000 for subsequent offenses. Offenses would be reported to the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (Louisville Courier-Journal, 1/25).

State Sen. Kathy Stein (D), an opponent of the bill, said, "We can read between the lines what this is all about," adding, "We're becoming more and more restrictive on a woman's private health care choice." The bill now proceeds to the state House, where similar proposals have stalled in the past. State House Speaker Greg Stumbo (D) said that the bill would receive a hearing (AP/Kentucky Enquirer, 1/26).

Senate Rejects '21st Century Bill of Rights'

In other Kentucky news, the state Senate rejected a bill (SB 3) that would have allowed voters to decide whether to amend the state's constitution to include a so-called "21st Century Bill of Rights" that would have dealt with "a series of hot-button issues," including abortion, the AP/Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The bill would have established a new section of the constitution to say that no law could force state residents to provide abortions, participate in any health care system or surrender lawfully possessed firearms, among other provisions. The bill fell two votes short of the 23 votes required for approval (Schreiner, AP/Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/26).

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