Current through the 2023 Regular Session
Section 50-20-401 - Offense of partial-birth abortion - exception - definitions - penalties(1) Except as provided in this section, a person commits an offense if the person purposely, knowingly, or negligently causes a partial-birth abortion.(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to: (a) a partial-birth abortion caused to save the life of a woman because the woman's life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or injury, including a life-endangering condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, if no other medical procedure would save the life of the woman; or(b) the woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed.(3) As used in this section, the following definitions apply: (a) "Knowingly" has the meaning provided in 45-2-101.(b) "Negligently" has the meaning provided in 45-2-101.(c)(i) "Partial-birth abortion" means an abortion in which the person performing the abortion partially vaginally delivers a living human fetus before killing the fetus and completing the delivery.(ii) A procedure that constitutes a partial-birth abortion is one in which the following steps occur: (A) the living fetus is removed intact from the uterus until only the head remains in the uterus;(B) all or a part of the intracranial contents of the fetus are evacuated;(C) the head of the fetus is compressed; and(D) following fetal demise, the fetus is removed from the birth canal.(d) "Purposely" has the meaning provided in 45-2-101.(4) A person committing the offense provided for in subsection (1) is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by: (a) a fine of not more than $50,000;(b) imprisonment in a correctional facility for a term of not less than 5 years and not more than 10 years; or(c) both fine and imprisonment as provided in subsections (4)(a) and (4)(b); and(d) permanent revocation of the license of the physician performing the partial-birth abortion. The provisions of 37-1-203 and 37-1-205 do not apply to a physician whose license is revoked pursuant to this section.En. Sec. 1, Ch. 314, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 479, L. 1999.