Bill > H1333

This bill, titled "Relative to banning partial birth abortions," seeks to prohibit a specific type of abortion procedure, often referred to as a partial-birth abortion, by amending existing Massachusetts General Laws. It defines "partially born" as the delivery of a living unborn fetus's body, with the entire head attached, to a point where the head (in a head-first presentation) or any part of the torso above the navel (in a breech presentation) is delivered past the mother's vaginal opening or outside her external abdominal wall. The bill also defines "sharp curettage abortion" and "suction curettage abortion" as methods that evacuate the uterus using instruments or suction. Crucially, it introduces a new section that makes it a crime, punishable by fines and imprisonment, to intentionally cause the death of a living intact fetus while it is partially born, with exceptions for abortions performed to save the mother's life, provided certain precautions are taken to save the fetus's life and the physician certifies the necessity in writing, unless it's an emergency. The mother of the fetus cannot be prosecuted under this law, and the bill includes a standard severability clause stating that if any part of the law is found invalid, the rest will remain in effect.