Number: SB 206
Status: Blocked/EnjoinedProposed: June 4, 2013 Enacted: July 5, 2013
Last updated Feb 12, 2014.
SB 206 contains two abortion restrictions: (1) mandatory ultrasound requirement, and (2) admitting privileges requirement.
SB 206 requires that physicians who perform abortions have admitting privileges in a hospital within 30 miles of the location where the abortion is to be performed.
Codified at Wis. Stat. § 253.095.
Informed Consent; Ultrasound Required
The bill amends the informed consent law which requires an ultrasound in order for a woman’s consent to an abortion to be considered “informed.” The amended provision in SB 206 requires a woman to fill out a form and indicate that the ultrasound was performed, who performed it, and when it was performed, unless the woman waived the ultrasound requirement. Waiver of the ultrasound requirement is permitted if the pregnancy resulted from sexual assault or incest, and the incident was reported to law enforcement.
Codified at Wis. Stat. § 253.10.
Except in a medical emergency or a situation where the pregnancy is the result of sexual assault or incest, Wisconsin law requires that a physician do the following before performing or inducing an abortion:
(1) perform an ultrasound on the pregnant woman using whichever transducer the woman chooses;
(2) provide a simultaneous oral explanation during the ultrasound including the number of fetuses and presence and location of the fetus, and the occurrence of the death of a fetus if such a death has occurred;
(3) display the ultrasound images so that the pregnant woman may view them;
(4) provide a medical description of the ultrasound images including the dimensions of the fetus and a description of any viewable external features or internal organs that are present and viewable on the image; and
(5) provide a means for the pregnant woman to visualize any fetal heartbeat, if detectable by the chosen ultrasound transducer type, and a simultaneous oral explanation of the visual display of the heartbeat in a manner understandable to a layperson (ultrasound requirements).
Codified at Wis. Stat. § 253.10(3g)
The admitting privileges provision was blocked by a federal court. (See Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin v. Van Hollen.)