The Iowa House approved a bill [text] Thursday that implements the most strict restrictions on abortion the state has ever had. The bill prohibits all abortions after 20 weeks into the pregnancy and enacts a 72 hour waiting period before any woman can get an abortion. The debate [IPR report] over the bill extended for over 6 hours. House Republicans were seeking to pass a series of bills that would have banned all abortions, or one that would ban abortions after a heartbeat was detected. The bill does not provide any exceptions, not even for cases that involve health risks or were consummated by incest or rape. This bill will have to be reconciled with Senate File 471 [materials] so then it can be moved towards becoming law.

This bill will join numerous others throughout the United States that attempt to place restrictions on the ability to have abortions. These policies are currently being implemented at all levels of government throughout the country. In March the US Senate passed a joint resolution to allow states to prevent federal grant [JURIST report] money from going to abortion providers. In Oklahoma the House of Representatives approved a bill [JURIST report] which would prohibit abortions because of Down’s Syndrome or genetic abnormalities of the child. One portion of the Iowa bill, which imposes a mandatory waiting period, has been struck down by courts in other states. In February the Supreme Court of Florida blocked a law [JURIST report] which enforced a mandatory waiting period for abortions.