SHB 1031 - H AMD TO H AMD 340 353

By Representative Sterk

On page 1, beginning on line 3, strike everything through line 22 and insert the following:

On page 1, after line 6, insert the following:

ANEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The legislature hereby intends to protect the long term reproductive health of pregnant women by limiting high-risk procedures that could substantially harm their procreative well-being, including the significant threat of future problems with infertility.@

On page 1, line 14, after Adelivery.@ insert, APartial-birth abortion includes repositioning a living fetus into a breach position and terminating the life of the fetus by introducing an instrument or device into the cranium of the fetus and evacuating the contents thereof.@

On page 2, strike everything on line 16 and insert, A(b) No other procedure to terminate the pregnancy, including the induction of labor or cesarean section, would suffice for that purpose.

(7)@

On page 2, after line 17, insert the following:

ANEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) There is created the legislative task force on alternatives to partial-birth abortion to consist of six members.

(a) The task force shall consist of the following members:

(i) The chair of the committee on law and justice of the house of representatives, who shall serve as co-chair;

(ii) Two other representatives from the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house, one from each political party;

(iii) The chair of the committee on law and justice of the senate, who shall serve as co-chair; and

(iii) Two other representatives from the senate, appointed by the president of the senate, one from each political party.

(2) The legislative task force on alternatives to partial-birth abortion shall review all available statistical data relating to partial-birth abortion, the reason for the abortion, and any medical complications which may have occurred.

The task force shall also review the frequency of and the medical indications for partial-birth abortion, including instances where the physician reasonably believed that the failure to perform the partial-birth abortion would place the life or reproductive health of the mother at risk, or that the fetus suffered from a defect that could reasonably be assumed would cause pre- or post-partum fetal death or would cause the fetus to have a severe post-partum disability.

The task force shall also review other related issues the task force deems appropriate.

(3) The task force shall report to the legislature no later than December 31, 1997 all the statistical data gathered under this section and any recommendations it deems appropriate.@

Renumber the remaining subsections and correct internal references accordingly.

EFFECT: Adds language that the bill is intended to protect the reproductive health of pregnant women by limiting high-risk procedures that could substantially harm their procreative well-being, further defines partial-birth abortion to include repositioning a fetus into a breach position, introducing a device into the cranium of the fetus and evacuating the contents thereof, and creates a legislative task force on alternatives to partial-birth abortion to review statistical data relating to partial-birth abortion and report back to the legislature by December 31, 1997.