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2003 SESSION

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HB 1541 Partial birth infanticide.

Introduced by: Robert G. Marshall | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Partial birth infanticide. Defines "partial birth infanticide" as any deliberate act that (i) is intended to kill a human infant who has been born alive, but who has not been completely extracted or expelled from its mother, and that (ii) does kill such infant, regardless of whether death occurs before or after extraction or expulsion from its mother has been completed. The term "partial birth infanticide" will not include (i) the suction curettage abortion procedure, (ii) the suction aspiration abortion procedure, (iii) the dilation and evacuation abortion procedure involving dismemberment of the fetus prior to removal from the body of the mother, or (iv) completing delivery of a living human infant and severing the umbilical cord of any infant who has been completely delivered. "Human infant who has been born alive" is defined as a product of human conception that has been completely or substantially expelled or extracted from its mother, regardless of the duration of pregnancy, which after such expulsion or extraction breathes or shows any other evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. "Substantially expelled or extracted from its mother" is defined as, in the case of a headfirst presentation, the infant's entire head is outside the body of the mother, or, in the case of breech presentation, any part of the infant's trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother. The bill punishes the act of "partial birth infanticide" as a Class 4 felony. This provision will not prohibit the use by a physician of any procedure that, in reasonable medical judgment, is necessary to prevent the death of the mother, so long as the physician takes every medically reasonable step, consistent with such procedure, to preserve the life and health of the infant. A procedure will not be deemed necessary to prevent the death of the mother if completing the delivery of the living infant would prevent the death of the mother. The mother cannot be prosecuted for any criminal offense based on the performance of any act or procedure by a physician in violation of this section. This provision also amends vital statistics law to modify the definition of "live birth" to include substantial expulsion or extraction of the product of human conception from its mother and to add a definition of "substantial expulsion or extraction." A second enactment clause repeals the partial birth abortion provision.


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