H-4338              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2029

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Representative Padden

Read first time 2/8/88 and referred to Committee on Health Care.

AN ACT Relating to abortion; adding a new section to chapter 9.02 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, morals, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 9.02 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) No person may intentionally perform an abortion with knowledge that the pregnant woman is seeking the abortion solely on account of the sex, race, or color of the unborn child.

          (2) If the application of this section to the period of pregnancy prior to viability is held invalid, then such invalidity shall not affect its application to the period of pregnancy subsequent to viability.

          (3) As used in this section, "viability" means that stage of fetal development when, in the medical judgment of the attending physician based on the particular facts of the case, there is a reasonable likelihood of sustained survival of the fetus outside the womb, with or without artificial support.