The Kentucky Senate [official website] approved a bill [text, PDF] on Thursday that outlaws the use of the dilation and excavation abortion method for patients in their eleventh week of pregnancy or later.
The method is most commonly used in second-term abortions. Violation of the law will be a Class D felony. The pregnant woman on whom the procedure would be performed cannot be found guilty of violating the law. The bill has an exception for the use of the method in the event of a medical emergency.
The bill, HB454, passed the senate with a vote [bill history] of 31-5. It previously passed the House with a vote of 71-11. It now has to go back to the House due to changes in the bill.
Abortion continues to be a source of legal challenges in the US. On Tuesday a court blocked [JURIST report] a Mississippi law that would outlaw all abortions after a 15-week gestation period. The Supreme Court also heard a case on Tuesday regarding a California law that requires [JURIST report] licensed clinics that list their primary purpose as providing family planning or pregnancy-related services to notify and inform all clients concerning the availability of free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services, prenatal care and abortion for eligible women.