§ 63-1-745.14. Making heartbeat audible before abortion.

A.  Any abortion provider who knowingly performs or induces any abortion shall comply with the requirements of the Heartbeat Informed Consent Act.

B.  Prior to a woman giving informed consent to having any part of an abortion performed or induced, if the pregnancy is at least eight (8) weeks after fertilization, the abortion provider who is to perform or induce the abortion or an agent of the abortion provider shall tell the woman that it may be possible to make the embryonic or fetal heartbeat of the unborn child audible for the pregnant woman to hear and ask the woman if she would like to hear the heartbeat.  If the woman would like to hear the heartbeat, the abortion provider shall, using a Doppler fetal heart rate monitor, make the embryonic or fetal heartbeat of the unborn child audible for the pregnant woman to hear.  An abortion provider or an agent of the abortion provider shall not be in violation of the requirements of this subsection if:

1.  The provider or agent has attempted, consistent with standard medical practice, to make the embryonic or fetal heartbeat of the unborn child audible for the pregnant woman to hear using a Doppler fetal heart rate monitor;

2.  That attempt does not result in the heartbeat being made audible; and

3.  The provider has offered to attempt to make the heartbeat audible at a subsequent date.

C.  Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the pregnant woman from not listening to the sounds detected by the Doppler fetal heart rate monitor pursuant to the requirements of subsection B of this section.

Added by Laws 2012, c. 159, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2012.