Bill > H1550

This bill, titled "Relative to unborn children," proposes to amend Chapter 112 of the General Laws to prohibit abortions of unborn children deemed capable of feeling pain, generally considered to be at twenty or more weeks of gestational age, unless the abortion is necessary to prevent or treat a serious health risk to the mother. The bill mandates that physicians performing or attempting abortions must determine the gestational age of the unborn child, with specific requirements for inquiries and medical examinations, and outlines penalties for violations, including imprisonment. It also establishes that if an abortion is performed under these provisions, specific medical procedures designed to preserve the life and health of the aborted child must be used, and physicians must take all reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of the aborted child, including the presence of a physician capable of providing life support. Furthermore, the bill requires that abortions performed under these sections, except in emergencies, must occur in a hospital authorized for obstetrical services, and physicians must obtain written informed consent and document specific medical judgments and reasons for performing the abortion, with detailed reporting requirements to the commissioner of public health.