Abortion waiting period bill dies in committee

By Cowboy State Daily A bill that would impose a 48-hour waiting period on women seeking abortions will not be reviewed by Wyomings Senate. HB 140 will not receive a hearing in the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee this session, committee Chair Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper, said Thursday. Scott said the committee has…

February 14, 20191 min read

A bill that would impose a 48-hour waiting period on women seeking abortions will not be reviewed by Wyoming’s Senate.

HB 140 will not receive a hearing in the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee this session, committee Chair Sen. Charlie Scott, R-Casper, said Thursday.

Scott said the committee has a number of major bills to deal with before Wednesday, the last day for committees to send bills they have reviewed to the floor. He added he does not think the waiting period is a significant issue in Wyoming because most women seeking abortions go to other states.

Under existing Wyoming law, a doctor must give a woman seeking an abortion the chance to see an ultrasound of the fetus and hear a recording of its heartbeat. HB 140 would have required the doctor to wait 48 hours after extending that invitation to perform the procedure.

The bill was approved in the House on Feb. 1 by a vote of 36-22. Without a committee hearing, the bill will die before being reviewed by the full Senate.

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