SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS.
The Congress finds and declares the following:
(a) IN GENERAL. -- Title 18 United States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 73 the following:
CHAPTER 74 -- PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTIONS
"Sec.
"1531. Partial-birth abortions prohibited
§1531. Partial-birth abortions prohibited
(a) Any physician who, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly performs a partial-birth abortion and thereby kills a human fetus shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both. This subsection does not apply to a partial-birth abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. This subsection takes effect 1 day after the date of enactment of this chapter.
(b) As used in this section --
(1) the term 'partial-birth abortion' means an abortion in which --
(A) the person performing the abortion deliberately and intentionally vaginally delivers a living fetus until, in the case of a head-first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside the body of the mother, or, in the case of breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother for the purpose of performing an overt act that theperson knows will kill the partially delivered living fetus; and
(B) performs the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially delivered living fetus; and
(2) the term 'physician' means a doctor of medicine or osteopathy legally authorized to practice medicine and surgery by the State in which the doctor performs such activity, or any other individual legally authorized by the State to perform abortions: Provided, however, That any individual who is not a physician or not otherwise legally authorized by the State to perform abortions, but who nevertheless directly performs a partial-birth abortion, shall be subject to the provisions of this section.
(c)(1) The father, if married to the mother at the time she receives a partial-birth abortion procedure, and if the mother has not attained the age of 18 years at the time of the abortion, the maternal grandparents of the fetus, may in a civil action obtain appropriate relief, unless the pregnancy resulted from the plaintiff's criminal conduct or the plaintiff consented to the abortion.
(2) Such relief shall include
(A) money damages for all injuries, psychological and physical, occasioned by the violation of this section; and
(B) statutory damages equal to three times the cost of the partial-birth abortion.
(d)(1) A defendant accused of an offense under this section may seek a hearing before the State Medical Board on whether the physician's conduct was necessary to save the life of the mother whose life was endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.
(2) The findings on that issue are admissible on that issue at the trial of the defendant. Upon a motion of the defendant, the court shall delay the beginning of the trial for not more than 30 days to permit such a hearing to take place.
(e) A woman upon whom a partial-birth abortion is performed may not be prosecuted under this section, for a conspiracy to violate this section, or for an offense under section 2, 3, or 4 of this title based on a violation of this section.".
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT. -- ÑThe table of chapters for part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 73 the following new item:
"74. Partial-birth abortions ........................................................... 1531".
SEC. 4. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING ROE V. WADE.
(a) FINDINGS. --The Senate finds that --
(1) abortion has been a legal and constitutionally protected medical procedure throughout the United States since the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)); and
(2) the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade established constitutionally based limits on the power of States to restrict the right of a woman to choose to terminate a pregnancy.
(b) SENSE OF THE SENATE. --It is the sense of theSenate that --
(1) the decision of the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)) was appropriate and secures an important constitutional right; and
(2) such decision should not be overturned.
Passed the Senate March 13, 2003.
I too am hopeful this won't go further- I find it upsetting and insulting that five (male) members of a court have control over my medical options. And I think you articulated well why the debate isn't a debate- I wish it didn't take up so much time and money in political campaigns.
I read an article yesterday that helped to explain the "exception" in the Bill. It is an exception for the mother's life, but not her safety. So if you have two options: (a) the partial birth procedure which is safer and would have a much lower chance of permanent scarring and damage, but option (b) which was riskier and likely to lead to permanent damage to a woman's reproductive system, the woman would now have to choose option (b) as long as it doesn't truly threaten her life. (The doctor in this article said the main reason for using the partial-birth procedure is b/c if a pregnancy needs to be terminated that far along, it is much safer and there is far less chance of scarring and permanent damage done to the woman's reproductive system.) I'm not sure if I explained that clearly, but it helped me understand why this Bill was different.