Bill > HB4004

Introduced Session

The purpose of this bill is to create the “Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act. It provides definitions and makes it unlawful for any person to purposely perform or attempt to perform a dismemberment abortion and thereby kill an unborn child unless necessary to prevent serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother. The bill provides that persons accused of performing such an illegal act are entitled to a hearing before West Virginia Board of Medicine. It identifies persons not liable for performing or attempting to perform a dismemberment abortion. It provides who may seek injunctive relief or a cause of action for civil damages against a person who has performed a dismemberment abortion and what damages may be awarded. The bill requires the court to rule whether the anonymity of any woman upon whom an abortion has been performed or attempted to be performed shall be preserved from public disclosure if she does not give her consent to such disclosure.  The bill declares that this section may not be construed as creating or recognizing a right to abortion, nor a right to a particular method of abortion. And, the bill creates a felony offense for violations and criminal penalties.

Committee Categories

Karen Arvon (R)*,  Saira Blair (R),  Anna Border-Sheppard (R),  Roy Cooper (R),  Tom Fast (R),  Cindy Frich (R),  Lynwood Ireland (R),  Kayla Kessinger (R),  William Romine (R),  Ruth Rowan (R),  Kelli Sobonya (R), 

To House Health and Human Resources (on 01/13/2016)

Official Document