On Tuesday, Republicans who control Pennsylvania’s Legislature began to advance bills to restrict abortion rights. One of the bills in particular would restrict abortion in most cases after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which is usually detected around week 6 or 7—before many women even know that they’re pregnant. This is the first time such a bill has come forth from a committee in Pennsylvania’s Legislature.
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Under the leadership of State Representative Kathy Rapp (R-Warren), the PA House Health Committee passed the Heartbeat Bill (House Bill 904), the Unborn Child Dignity Act (House Bill 118) and the Down Syndrome Protection Act (House Bill 1500).
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“Each of these pro-life bills helps to recognize the humanity of the unborn child,” said Alexis Stefani, Communications and Policy Officer for Pennsylvania Family Institute.
Under the Heartbeat Bill, any abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected would be prohibited. A doctor would have to determine if a fetal heartbeat is present before the patient can receive an abortion. Currently, the state law permits abortion up until about 24 weeks into a pregnancy.
The Down Syndrome Protection Act would prevent parents from choosing whether or not to terminate a pregnancy due to a possible diagnosis of Down syndrome, and the Unborn Child Dignity Act would require healthcare facilities to give parents the choice of either cremation or burial after the demise of a pregnancy.
These bills are unfortunately similar to other bills in more than a dozen other states that seek to remove a woman’s right to her own reproductive health and actually cause more trauma to the patient.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf stated that he would veto any anti-choice legislation.
“Once again, members are working to pass anti-choice legislation that would undermine the doctor-patient relationship and limit an individual’s right to decide what happens to their body — including re-running appalling bills that I have vetoed in the past,” he said.
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“While members of the legislature continue to play politics around health choices, I will not let the commonwealth go backwards on reproductive rights or access to health care. I will veto any anti-choice legislation that lands on my desk.”
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*First Published: May 26, 2021, 1:53 pm
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