Language Added To Abortion Restriction Bill Moots Its Aim

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — An amendment added to a legislative proposal aimed at prohibiting abortions performed because the fetus has a genetic abnormality appears to have nullified the ban entirely.

Language added when the Senate debated the bill only prohibits the procedure based on genetic abnormality if the fetus has reached 20 or more weeks post-fertilization age.

Under a 2012 law, Louisiana bans all abortion after 20 weeks.

Republican Rep. Rick Edmonds, of Baton Rouge, said Sunday he was aware of the change when he asked lawmakers to give his bill final legislative passage a few days earlier.

He said despite the provision mooting the ban, "to get the policy started in our state is important."

The bill awaits a decision from Gov. John Bel Edwards.

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House Bills 1019: www.legis.la.gov