Alabama’s pro-life movement is gearing up for a couple of big weeks in the Alabama House of Representatives as four abortion-related bills navigate the legislative process.
The bills on the calendar for tomorrow’s Health Committee meeting include The Fetal Heartbeat Act (HB490), The Woman’s Right to Know (HB489), The Perinatal Hospice Information Act (HB493) and HB494, which will toughen parental consent requirements for minors seeking an abortion.
“It is unfortunate that liberal activist judges on the U.S. Supreme Court have made abortion legal in the United States,” said Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard. “But Alabamians are fortunate to have a Republican legislature that continues to protect and prioritize life in our state.”
In spite of Alabama’s electorate being one of the most socially conservative in the nation, pro-life bills were virtually non-existent prior to Republicans taken control of the legislature in 2010. As a result, the state has lagged behind other states when it comes to protecting the right to life. Americans United for Life recently ranked Alabama in the middle of the pack compared to other states.
The package of pro-life bills set for a committee vote tomorrow would be a big step in the right direction. If the bills are voted out of committee as expected, they would likely hit the floor of the full House early next week.
Here are some quick details on the four bills:
Fetal Heartbeat Act sponsored by Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, R-Indian Springs.
This bill would require physicians to check for a detectable heartbeat before performing an abortion. If a physician fails to check for a heartbeat or performs an abortion after a heartbeat is detected, they would face Class C Felony charges and would have his or her medical license revoked.
“In almost every medical situation the litmus test to determine the need for continued medical treatment is the existence of a pulse,” McClurkin said. “We owe the same respect and reverence to the life of an unborn child that we would pay to any person facing a medical emergency.”
Women’s Right to Know Act sponsored by Representative Ed Henry, R-Hartselle.
This bill increases the required wait time prior to performing an abortion from 24 to 48 hours. During this period, required information about abortion, including an ultrasound, is provided to the woman seeking the procedure.
“When someone is making a decision so monumental that it could result in the loss of a life, every single hour counts,” Henry said. “I’m confident that the difference of an additional 24 hours of consideration could help more people choose life.”
The Perinatal Hospice Information Act sponsored by Rep. Kurt Wallace, R-Maplesville
This bill provides that in cases where an unborn child has a lethal fetal anomaly, no abortion can be performed until a physician has informed the woman in person that perinatal hospice services are available and that they are an alternative to abortion.
A lethal fetal anomaly is defined as a condition diagnosed before birth that will likely result in the death of the child within three months after birth.
“The more information potential parents are provided with under these difficult circumstances about positive alternatives to abortion the more likely they will be to make an informed decision and a positive choice,” Wallace said.
HB494 sponsored by Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia
This bill will toughen parental consent requirements for minors seeking an abortion. The bill requires more stringent identification and documentation requirements on behalf of the minor and their parents or legal guardians, including that a parental consent form must be signed in the presence of a physician.
“This bill makes crystal clear a process that has been enforced inconsistently at best in the state of Alabama,” Jones said. “In instances where a minor is seeking an abortion, it is imperative that they fully understand the ramifications of their decision and prove that they are wholly aware of its impact.”
All four pro-life bills were discussed in public hearings in the House Health Committee last week.
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