Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill Monday banning abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy.
The bill includes a ban on abortion in cases of rape or incest, but carves out an exception for abortions “deemed necessary based on reasonable medical judgment which was intended to prevent the death or a serious health risk to the pregnant female.” (RELATED: ‘Unfit To Lead’: Pro-Life Groups Blast Trump For Saying Abortion Should Be Left To The States)
The legislation also carves out an exception for physicians who perform abortions not knowing they are in violation of the law.
The bill passed the Senate and the House on veto-proof margins April 20, CBS reported.
JUST IN: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) signed a bill that would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, making it one of the strictest abortion restrictions in the country. The law does not provide exceptions in the case of rape or incest. https://t.co/oJvNTVwecY
— The Hill (@thehill) April 24, 2023
“This bill clarifies and refines existing state law … and reaffirms North Dakota as a pro-life state,” Burgum said in a statement.
The bill also stipulates that “[a]n abortion facility may not perform an abortion on a woman without first offering the woman an opportunity to receive and view at the abortion facility or another facility an active ultrasound of her unborn child.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six week abortion ban into law in April. The Heartbeat Protection Act carved out exceptions for unborn babies conceived during rape, incest, or human trafficking.
Twelve states ban abortion at six weeks, including Georgia, Kentucky, and Ohio, according to Pro Choice America.