Legislation introduced in West Virginia would ban abortions after 15 weeks gestation, similar to a Mississippi law currently being debated at the Supreme Court, local outlet WOWK reported Friday.
“The bill [House Bill 4004] was introduced on Wednesday by 11 Republicans from all across the state. The only exceptions to the 15-week rule would be in cases of medical emergencies or of severe fetal abnormality. If a medical professional intentionally violates the law, they could lose their medical license,” WOWK’s report states.
This week, lawmakers in both Florida and South Dakota announced plans to implement laws to protect the unborn. This comes after the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments last month for the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Dobbs surrounds a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi and could overturn landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, decided in 1973. A decision is expected next summer.
Similar to Mississippi and West Virginia, Florida lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday that would ban most abortions after 15 weeks.
“There’s a lot of pro-life legislation. We’re going to be welcoming it,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said to reporters when the legislation was introduced.
In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said State of the State address this week that she will support legislation to ban abortions after fetal heartbeat detection, which occurs around six weeks gestation. This legislation emulates S.B. 8, a law enacted in Texas last year that banned abortions in the state after fetal heartbeat detection.
“Today, I am asking all of you to protect the heartbeats of these unborn children,” Noem told the lawmakers during her address Tuesday. “I am bringing legislation to ban all abortions once a heartbeat can be detected.”