Marshall to Introduce Legislation Restricting Abortion Before the First Heartbeat, Contradicting Texas Law

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – A U.S. senator from Kansas has announced he will introduce legislation requiring audible heartbeats before a pregnant woman can give legal consent to an abortion, as Texas law banning abortions after the first heartbeat remains intact. To research.

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) says on Thursday, March 10, he will introduce the Ultrasound Informed Consent Actthat would require abortion providers to perform an obstetrical ultrasound and make the live heartbeat audible during pregnancy before a woman can give informed consent to an abortion.

“As an OBGYN who has delivered thousands of babies, I never imagined that I would fight harder in the Senate than I did in the ER and in the delivery room to protect mothers and babies. babies,” Senator Marshall said. “I am proud to lead legislation that goes against the abortion industry’s efforts to hide the truth from women by requiring mothers to be informed of their baby’s development and that hear their heartbeats before consenting to an abortion. As a health care provider, it’s the least you can do to protect the safety and well-being of women and their unborn children.

Marshall said the legislation would require abortion providers to perform an ultrasound before an abortion is performed. Specifically, he said that before a woman can give informed consent to any part of an abortion, the provider must do the following:

• Perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman
• Provide a simultaneous explanation of what the ultrasound represents
• Display ultrasound images for the woman to see
• Make the live heartbeat audible and provide a verbal explanation
• Provide a full medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus, cardiac activity if present and visible, and the presence of arms, legs, external limbs, and internal organs if present and visible , as well as a copy of the ultrasound image to the woman

As a condition of obtaining federal funds or assistance, Marshall said an abortion provider will be required to perform and examine an ultrasound before performing the abortion. Suppliers will also be subject to civil actions and penalties for violations.

Marshall said the bill’s ultrasound requirements would not apply in cases where a physical disorder, illness or injury caused by pregnancy is life-threatening to a woman. He said a woman is also not required to see the ultrasound images, nor can she or the provider be penalized if she refuses to do so.

Planned Parenthood says a heart doesn’t start beating until a pregnancy is between five and six weeks into the first trimester. That means the legislation would contradict the already-challenged law in Texas banning abortions after that point.

In October 2021, the Supreme Court allowed Texas law banning abortions after 6 weeks – or after the first heartbeat – to remain in place after being heavily challenged for its excruciating restrictions and agreed to hear arguments at this subject in November.

However, last month the court said it would not expedite the pending case and declined to order a federal appeals court to return the case to a federal judge who had temporarily blocked the case. law application.

Thus, the Texas law will likely remain in effect for the foreseeable future.

Marshall’s ultrasound bill co-sponsors include Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R -Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Mike Rounds (RS.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.).

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