H. B. 3020
(By
Delegate Caruth)
[Introduced
February 14, 2003; referred to the
Committee
on Health and Human Resources then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend article forty-two, chapter thirty-three of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto
a new section, designated section nine, relating to requiring that every woman
seeking an abortion be given the opportunity to see an ultrasound image of the
fetus; prescribing a criminal penalty for violations of the section; and
providing nothing in the section can be construed as approving of abortion.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That
article forty-two, chapter thirty-three of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new
section, designated section nine, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 42. WOMEN'S ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE ACT.
§33-42-9. Requirement that woman seeking abortion be given opportunity to see
ultrasound image of fetus.
Before
any medical practitioner may perform an abortion, he or she shall afford the
woman seeking the abortion an opportunity to view an ultrasound image of her
unborn child. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty
of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than
fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars. Nothing contained in this
section may be construed or interpreted to endorse, allow, permit or approve of
any abortion.
NOTE:
The purpose of this bill is to require every woman seeking an abortion be given
the opportunity to see an ultrasound image of the fetus. The bill also
prescribes a criminal penalty for violations of the section. It also provides
that nothing in the section can be construed as approving of abortion.
This
section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.