South Dakota's Senate voted on March 2 to pass legislation requiring
women to wait 72 hours and be provided counseling before undergoing an
abortion.
In a 21-13 vote, the Senate approved HB 1217, which mandates that a
licensed physician first meet with a woman considering an abortion,
discuss the documented risks with her, and schedule the procedure no
earlier than 72 hours after the assessment.
The bill now awaits
signature from Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
The Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls strongly supported the bill, saying it would provide the necessary “informed consent that must be given to mothers considering an abortion so that they are protected and not coerced.”
The Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls strongly supported the bill, saying it would provide the necessary “informed consent that must be given to mothers considering an abortion so that they are protected and not coerced.”
“This additional protection will also help to insure that mothers are
as fully aware as possible of the implications and ramifications of the
grave decision to terminate the most sacred gift of life,” read a
diocesan statement.
The legislation also requires that that prior to an abortion being
performed in the state, a licensed physician must determine during the
preliminary consultation that the mother's decision to abort is not the
result of any coercion.
The doctor must also obtain the approximate age
of the father of the unborn child, to see if a significant age
difference is a coercive factor or influence.
Under the new measure, the pregnant mother will be provided a list of
all pregnancy help centers registered with the South Dakota Department
of Health, and prior to the day of the scheduled abortion, have a
consultation at one of the registered pregnancy help centers.
Republican state Sen. Al Novstrup, the primary sponsor of the bill,
said that the legislation will help protect women from being pressured
into having abortions and better inform them of other options, according
to the Associated Press.
Rep. Novstrup asserted that women in the state get inadequate
counseling at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Sioux Falls and that
women only see a doctor once they've already had an abortion.
“Defend the right of women to be informed and know the risk before
they go forward,” Novstrup said on March 2, before the vote took place.
The measure will also provide a pregnant mother – or her survivors as
the case may be – the chance to obtain civil penalties from a doctor
who fails to comply with the provisions of the act, resulting in damages
or harm to the woman.
Additionally, the legislation requires that the mother not consent to
an abortion until the day it's scheduled and may not go through with
the procedure until all of the bill's provisions are met, including
verification that she consulted a pregnancy help center.