This amendment replaces the original heartbeat-based abortion restriction with a viability-based standard that permits abortion before fetal viability or to protect the pregnant person's life or health.
- Changes the bill's title from 'Human heartbeat act' to 'The viability standard'. (Page 1, lines 1-3)
- Replaces the entire enacting clause and purpose statement to reflect that the bill protects the right to abortion before viability rather than restricting abortion based on detectable heartbeat. (Page 1, lines 1-7)
- Deletes the legislative findings section that provided the rationale for the heartbeat-based restriction. (Page 1, line 11)
- Replaces all substantive sections with new statutory provisions (W.S. 35-6-140 through 35-6-147) that establish a viability standard. Key provisions include: defining terms such as viability, abortion, and health care providers; affirming the right to abortion prior to viability or to protect life or health; establishing a misdemeanor penalty for unauthorized abortions but protecting the pregnant person from prosecution; allowing health care providers to assert good faith medical judgment regarding viability as a complete defense; limiting state regulations to those medically necessary and consistent with established medical practice; protecting the right to refuse participation in abortion; requiring equivalent state benefits for pregnancy termination; and repealing conflicting provisions. (Pages 2-8)
- Renumbers the effective date section from Section 4 to Section 3 to reflect the deletion of the original Sections 1 and 2. (Page 9, line 1)
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