· March 16, 2014

Legislation: Ohio Senate Bill 297 -The Heartbeat Bill

Bill: Senate Bill 297 (full text) Title: Heartbeat Bill Sponsors: Senator Jordan Co-Sponsors: Senator Schaffer Bill Analysis: The bill prohibits abortions where a fetal heartbeat has been detected, this is the same language as the Heartbeat Bill, HB 248. It makes violations of this a felony of the fifth degree. The bill provides an exception if the abortion is to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent a “serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” If a physician performs an abortion under these circumstances, they must declare, in writing, that the medical procedure was necessary and must specify the pregnant woman’s medical condition and indicate the medical rationale for the procedure. The bill requires women to sign a form acknowledging that she has received information from the doctor performing the abortion of the statistical probability that the fetus will be carried to term and that the fetus has a heartbeat. It also adds several definitions to the Ohio Revised Code, including defining conception to mean fertilization. The bill creates the joint legislative committee on adoption promotion and support. This committee is designed to review or study anything that “it considers relevant to the adoption process in the state.” The committee is to be made up for 3 members of the House and 3 members of the Senate. Status: Introduced in the Senate March 13, 2014.