SALT LAKE CITY — A bill filed in the Utah State Legislature would make what it terms “dismemberment abortion” a felony in Utah, with doctors who perform any such procedure liable for criminal charges.
Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, filed House Bill 442 on Thursday. It defines “dismemberment abortion” as:
The bill makes it a third-degree felony for any physician who performs a “dismemberment abortion” unless it is for a medical emergency.
The bill is expected to face opposition from abortion rights groups. A constitutional note attached to the bill stated that the legislature’s lawyers found a “high probability that a court would declare the legislation to be unconstitutional under the Utah Constitution, the United States Constitution, or both.”
