05 LC 28
2487
House
Bill 888
By:
Representatives Mills of the
25th,
Burmeister of the
119th,
Walker of the
107th,
Brown of the
69th,
Lunsford of the
110th,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
provide a short title; to amend Article 5 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to abortion, so as to require
facilities where abortions are performed and facilities of physicians who refer
for abortions to have or have access to certain medical equipment; to require
such facilities to perform certain procedures prior to performing an abortion;
to provide for certain forms; to provide a penalty for violations; to provide
for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
This
Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Full Disclosure Ultrasound
Act."
SECTION
2.
Article
5 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to abortion, is amended by adding a new Code Section 16-12-141.2 to read as
follows:
"16-12-141.2.
(a)
All facilities in which abortions are performed and all facilities of physicians
who refer for abortions either shall have functional ultrasound or sonogram
equipment on site or shall have access to such equipment through other medical
facilities.
(b)
An ultrasound or sonogram examination of each unborn child shall be performed
prior to an abortion being performed or a referral for an abortion being made.
Such examination may be performed on site or by referral to another medical
facility for the performance of such examination.
(c)
As a part of the informed consent to the abortion procedure, a pregnant female
desiring an abortion shall be offered an opportunity to view the ultrasound or
sonogram image of her unborn child.
(d)
The Department of Human Resources shall develop and distribute a form by which
physicians who perform abortions or refer for abortions may verify that the
pregnant female was offered an opportunity to view the ultrasound or sonogram
image of her unborn child prior to the abortion being performed.
(e)
It shall be illegal to intentionally fail or refuse to offer a pregnant female
desiring an abortion an opportunity to view the ultrasound or sonogram image of
her unborn child prior to performing an abortion. Violation of this Code
section shall be punished as for a
misdemeanor."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
