HARRISBURG (TNS) — The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade leaves it up to states to determine the rules regarding abortion services and some lawmakers already have ideas about what Pennsylvania should do.
Unlike 13 other states, Pennsylvania does not have a law that automatically restricts or completely bans abortions once this landmark court decision was overturned.
However, there are a dozen pieces of legislation that have been introduced this legislative session that seek to protect or alter the state’s current law that allows an abortion to be performed up to the 24th week of pregnancy or later if the life of the mother is at risk and minors must have parental consent.
The bills that seek to further limit access to abortion stand no chance of getting past Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto pen. But moving them to his desk would send a message to voters about where individual lawmakers stand on the issue going forward.
Wolf vetoed a bill in 2019 a bill that resembles legislation offered in both chambers banning abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome.
Wolf is term-limited and constitutionally barred from seeking another term when his time in office expires in January. But the two major party gubernatorial candidates vying to succeed him have divergent views on this issue.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro has taken a stand saying he will veto any bill that would restrict abortion rights, and he will expand access to reproductive care. Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano favors a total ban on abortions with no exceptions.
Here are the measures that are sitting in the hopper in the state House and Senate awaiting action relating to abortion access in the current legislative session that ends Nov. 30 as well as their current status are:
ANTI-ABORTION BILLS
• Senate Bill 378 – Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County
Bans abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected unless determined by a physician to be clinically necessary
Status: In Senate Health and Human Services Committee
• House Bill 904 – Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Clinton County
Bans abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected unless determined by a physician to be clinically necessary
Status: Passed House Health Committee and awaiting action by the full House of Representatives
• House Bill 1500 – Rep. Kate Klunk, R-York County
Bans abortions because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome
Status: Passed the House by a 120-83 vote and is now before the full Senate
• Senate Bill 21 – Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster County
Bans abortions based on a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome
Status: In Senate Health and Human Services Committee
• House Bill 2252 – Rep. Donna Oberlander, R-Clarion County
Proposes a constitutional amendment banning public funding of elective abortions and prevents the courts from changing state abortion laws
Status: In House Health Committee
• Senate Bill 956 – Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair County
Proposes a constitutional amendment banning public funding of elective abortions and prevents the courts from changing state abortion laws
Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services Committee and is now before the full Senate
• Senate Bill 152 – Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair County
Prioritizes public funds for family planning services to private hospitals and community health centers over “unconventional” health care providers such as Planned Parenthood
Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services Committee and before the full Senate
PRO-ABORTION-RIGHTS BILLS
• House Bill 2626 – Sponsor: Rep. Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester County
Bans public funding of family planning organizations that engage in practices that prevent women from having abortions to ensure that remains an option to meet women’s health needs
In House Health Committee.
• House Bill 2629 – Sponsor: Shusterman
Allows public funding of abortions
Status: In House Health Committee
• House Bill 2628 – Sponsor: Shusterman
Removes restrictions on public funds for abortions and related activities.
Status: In House Health Committee
• House Bill 2627 – Sponsor: Shusterman
Allocates money to the Department of Human Services for family planning providers including those that provide abortion services
Status: House Health Committee
• House Bill 733 – Sponsor: Rep. Kristine Howard, D-Chester County
Bars any state laws or regulations from interfering with an individual’s right to have an abortion
Status: House Health Committee
MEANWHILE, the number of abortions performed in Pennsylvania has been on a gradual rise in recent years, with 32,123 performed in 2020, according to the most recent statistics available from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
That is up from 2019 when 31,018 were performed in the commonwealth, the statistics show. Still, it less than half the number that was performed in 1980 when 65,777 were performed. That is the highest number since that time through 2020.
The following are some highlights from the department’s 2020 statistics:
• Nearly half, or 14,813, of abortions performed in the commonwealth were to white individuals, and 14,177 were to black or African-American individuals.
• Abortions to Hispanic women account for 3,479.
• More than 88%, or 28,281 of the abortions performed that year were to unmarried individuals.
• The largest age group having abortions was 25-29, followed by the 20-24 year-old age group.
• Philadelphia, the state’s most populous county, had the highest number of its resident having abortions (11,301) followed by Allegheny County, the second most populous county, (3,083).
• Sixty-eight percent of abortions performed that year took place under nine weeks of gestation.
