On a straight-party vote (7-4), Pennsylvania Republicans advanced HB-1500 on Monday (June 21), in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The bill would criminalize an abortion if it is determined that the abortion was performed [solely] because of the sex of the unborn child – or
The abortion is sought because the unborn child receives a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
Click here to read the whole bill
The onus of HB-1500 is placed solely upon physicians, in fact –
A woman upon whom an abortion is performed or induced or attempted to be performed in violation of the provisions of this section shall not be guilty of any of the following:
(i) Violating the provisions of this section.
(ii) Attempting to commit, conspiring to commit or being complicit in committing a violation of the provisions of this section.
HB-1500 does not appear to prohibit women in Pennsylvia from having abortions, so long as their primary motivation is that they just don’t want to have the baby, regardless of whether or not it is a boy or a girl or has Down Syndrome.